FAQs

This is a government policy and for every stage of training, there is a need to practice the competences acquired.

Compliance with training standards is enforced by different stakeholders including MOES (BTVET), UNMEB, and DES.

There is an Interministerial Inspection Team that inspects the proposed HTIs before accreditation by MOES.

Only those that meet the minimum basic requirements are given a 2-year provisional license by MOES.

For the case of Universities, a joint inspection team with NCHE carries out the inspection.

While on the provision they are expected to continue improving before Full Registration.

The license stipulates the number of students to be admitted at any one time. The bodies responsible for admitting, registering, and examining the students could be a big force to help us strengthen compliance with the numbers.

To effect compliance, there is a need for all stakeholders to get together and pave the way forward.

There are already existing guidelines on accreditation of HTIs by DES – MOES. There is only a need to comply with them. However, a standard for training is under review and will be shared at an appropriate time.

It is a requirement according to the enrollment and registration guidelines for all certificate and diploma cadres in Uganda. This is because academic requirements are different from fitness to practice. (There is always a final checkpoint even at the airport, where whatever unwanted material one could be moving with may be obtained and removed from the traveler).

UNMC is a statutory body that is governed by public guidelines.

The issue of practicing licenses is multifaceted including procurement challenges. However, we are doing our level best to clear the backlog. Of now, certificates and licenses up to July are ready.

To avoid overcrowding, a schedule and names will be put on the Council website for individuals to know when to pick their certificates. The same is being done for those for registration. We shall start with those who had booked in the latter half of March 2020.

We have a plan to start issuing licenses soon after registration and details will be communicated as required.

As for certificate collection, a schedule and lists of names will be put on the Council website – Facebook starting with those who had booked in the latter half of March 2020.

We are restricted by the Nurses and Midwives Act. However, the issue was discussed by Full Council which resolved that the area of specialty is appended on the certificate/ license e.g. MNS – Critical Care.

The issue is being taken care of in the bill.

This is an allegation. Some processes are followed in the registration of both internationally and nationally trained nurses.

These are different professions operating under different laws. However, there is a guideline of MOH on private practice that stipulates the requirements.

UNMC is a regulatory body and not an employment body. The office of commissioner nursing may be in a better position to respond to the concern of nursing.

UNMC has a governing body referred to Full Council that oversees its activities. Details to this are presented in the Nurses and Midwives Act, 1996.

Yes. The process for online registration and licensure is under development and that is the way we plan to go possibly before the next financial year ends.

The ICN definition of nursing states that:

Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles. (ICN 2010).

In Australia, nursing is also defined through the enrolled nurse, registered nurse and nurse practitioner competencies, and the code of conduct and code of ethics for nurses in Australia.

The ICM definition of midwifery states that:

A midwife is a person who has successfully completed a midwifery education program that is duly recognized in the country where it is located and that is based on the ICM essential competencies for basic midwifery practice and the framework of the ICM global standards for midwifery education; who has acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and or legally licensed to practice midwifery and use the title ‘midwife’: and who demonstrates competence in the practice of midwifery.

Scope of Practice (every nurse and midwife should practice within their scope of practice as stipulated in the policy. The job description should be within the scope of practice)

While nurses work with a diverse range of people, the focus of midwifery is specific. The Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council recognizes that certain elements of practice are common to nursing and midwifery.

Examples of common areas relevant to each profession’s scope of practice include:

• Counseling
• Patient education
• Wound care and infection control
• Administration of medicines, and
• Care of gynecological surgical patients.

The Uganda Nurses and Midwifery Council emphasizes that this is not a comprehensive list of elements common to nursing and midwifery, and that there is no standard approach. Assessment of applications and the case that a nurse or midwife may present to support their application is assessed on an individual by individual basis.

In addition, the Council recognizes that some similarities exist in the range of issues that nurses and midwives may face. In acknowledgement of the ICN and ICM definitions of nurses and midwives respectively, these similarities should be taken into account in the assessment of nurses and midwives with dual registration.

The Uganda Nurses and Midwifery Council appreciates that a number of roles exist where it may be necessary for a health professional to register as a nurse and a midwife. An example is work with pregnant women who have drug and alcohol issues.

You may seek registration with the Council:

• In nursing as a registered nurse or an enrolled nurse, or
• In midwifery as an enrolled midwife or registered midwifery

It is a statutory requirement for every nurse or midwife to have a license before he/she practices as a nurse or midwife. It is the license that gives a nurse or midwife permission to practice legally.

Yes it does cover so you have to renew for the recent qualification.

Training of nurses and midwives is being done by Ministry of Education and Sports therefore the state exams are testing exit education competence and not competences for practice.

Employment and regulation of practice is done by Ministry of health which has to prove your competences before being deployed safely. Therefore this necessitates enlisting professional competences.

Given the flexibility and delivery mode for advancing nursing and midwifery career, most of the nurses and midwives have the liberty to continue working or acquire part time jobs, in that regard a practicing license is required.

The council recognizes ECN as a legal accredited programme by Ministry of Education and Sports and therefore the council registers them as nurses at their different programme.

All council fees are regularly reviewed depending on the cost of services. It therefore a good practice to cross check for the fee on the https://www.unmc.ug prior to renewing.

• Licensure, credentialing, and accreditation
• Confer discipline to nurses and midwives
• Develop standards of nursing and midwifery, practice and training
• Protect the public from unsafe practice
• Accredit CPD programmes and providers

Certified copies of your original certificate are requirement by the employers but it is one’s need.

A nurse or midwife requiring to practice privately in their own clinic or domiciliary home is required apply to the council, please assess requirements at (link to private practice) Refer to requirements.

Council members represent their different institutions while others are nominated by the respective organizations and the ministers appoints them.

There are three main avenues at which one can verify whether a nurse or midwife is licensed to practice

• Using SMS. From the message on your phone, type cadre leave<space> full name then send it to 8198
• e.g Midwife  Kobusingye Anna  send to 8198
• From the website unmc.ug/licensed nurses/midwives
• facebook.com/unmc.ug and request for your license details

A nurse or midwife irrespective of the nationality who trained from a nursing and midwifery institution outside Uganda.

You will be required to apply to the council (link for downloaded registration forms).

CPD is the means by which members of the professions maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge, expertise and competence, and develop the personal and professional qualities required throughout their professional lives.

Practice means any role, whether remunerated or not, in which the individual uses their skills and knowledge as a nurse and/or midwife. For the purposes of this registration standard, practice is not restricted to providing direct clinical care. It also includes working in a direct non-clinical relationship with clients, working in management, administration, education, research, advisory, regulatory or policy development roles, and any other roles that impact on safe, effective delivery of services in the profession and/or use their professional skills.

Midwifery professional practice review requires the continuing collection of information and data that are then used at intervals of every three years in a formal professional review process.

The review is a process for assessing the competence of a midwife with the equivalent of three years’ full-time post registration experience, as well as their current competence to provide pregnancy, labour, birth and post natal care to women and infants across the continuum.

This is for your own and public safety.

Nurses and midwives may choose not to work in the profession for a variety of reasons (such as maternity leave, extended overseas travel, moving overseas, an extended career break or retirement) but may still wish to retain registration.

Under these circumstances, you must continue to undertake CPD in areas you are particularly interested in working.

Note: it is going to be a requirement before renewal of license; CPD credits will be required from accredited CPD providers.