Following a review and evaluation of the timings of the skill stations across all fields of nursing and midwifery (where applicable) candidates are frequently completing the skills in full within the current time frames and often have excess time available within the station. This can lead to increased stress and anxiety about their successful completion of the skill. To minimise this and to benefit candidates, from 02 September 2019, all competence test centres will be adopting the following timings;
* Aseptic non-touch technique – 15 minutes
* Removal of urinary catheter – 12 minutes
* Catheter specimen of urine – 12 minutes
* Peak flow expiratory rate – 12 minutes
* In-hospital resuscitation (without defibrillation) – 8 minutes
All other skill station timings remain unchanged.