Internships FAQs

Frequently Answered Questions regarding Interships and the One Year Job Guarantee (OYJG) Scheme

The OYJG scheme has been established to support those who have been unable to gain employment, but we will seek to provide a proportionate offer based on an average of the number of hours worked.

Yes only if the honours/masters full-time study is completed no more than three months from the closing date of the application cycle
An applicant cannot be in receipt of an NHS Bursary and a salary as an intern at the same time

The scheme is not compulsory and newly registered nurses and midwives are still encouraged to seek employment through their own means. However, if an offer of an internship position is made and then declined by the applicant, then the OYJG offer will be seen to have been completed.
If an intern subsequently finds alternative employment then they may leave the scheme at any time, but the OYJG offer will be seen to have been completed and no future offers will be made under the scheme.

No, NHS Boards continue to advertise vacancies as they arise and a number of newly registered Nurses and Midwives have obtained posts in this way.
As has traditionally been the case, some newly-registered staff do move to other UK countries and abroad to take up posts there.

The national nursing and midwifery OYJG scheme was originally launched in 2002. Despite the economic downturn we remain committed to maintaining a highly skilled, motivated and compassionate health workforce. By balancing support for newly registered staff with enhanced and more controlled selection of high quality students to pre-registration programmes, we can help to ensure that we encourage, support and sustain the flow of the right people, with the right skills and in the right numbers into the caring professions.

Any 'internship' position will be 'in addition to' the funded establishment for the area within which the intern is placed. Whilst interns would not be included in the establishment figures, they would be rostered in the normal way. This approach means that the intern always provides 'additional' clinical practice experience beyond any baseline safe/appropriate staffing.
Importantly, the primary focus of the initiative is to provide opportunities for newly registered nurses and midwives to consolidate their skills. Thus the internship approach will provide a sound working experience for the intern whilst also providing additional care capacity in the service.

NHS Boards cannot prioritise employment of post-internship staff as this would be against employment legislation/partnership agreements. However, by identifying the skills and experience gained during this period and linking this development to Flying Start NHS ® and the KSF interns can create a structured portfolio which should increase their likelihood of post-internship employment.

Interns will not be trainees, but will be fully registered nurses and midwives with the same standards, skills and competencies as other newly registered staff. The scheme is not about remediation, but is a mechanism to support staff to maintain, use and build upon the skills they already have.
As for all newly registered employees, there will be supervision and support requirements for interns, both in practice and at any educational interface. NES will work with designated NHS Board staff to ensure adequate support for the interns.
Flying Start NHS® will be built into the intern programme and form the basis for any structured development. NES's educational focus and links will support a robust developmental experience around the scheme.

SGHD and NES are working closely with Professional Leads across Scotland to support the development of 'internship opportunities'. We will not be able to guarantee a local offer, but NHS Boards have identified opportunities across Scotland to meet our commitment through the OYJG scheme.