1.3 Registration, PIN vs. AIN, Rotation, Licence Renewal & Foreign-Trained Pathway

1.3 Registration, PIN vs. AIN, Rotation, Licence Renewal & Foreign-Trained Pathway

Quick Answer: Passing the licensing examination leads to registration, not straight to an unrestricted licence. Candidates take their results slip to the Council's Regional Office for the region where they trained, complete a registration form and pay the fee, and receive a log book for rotation plus a provisional licence and code for National Service. After rotation or National Service they return the log book and provisional licence and await their PIN (nurses and midwives) or AIN (nurse assistants) and certificate of registration. A PIN or AIN must be renewed: the Council states it expires 12 calendar months after issue and requires minimum CPD points for renewal.

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From Results Slip to Registration: The Council's Steps

The N&MC describes this procedure for Nurse Assistants, Nurses and Midwives who pass the licensing examination:

PASS LICENSING EXAMINATION
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Go to the Council's Regional Office (region of your training institution)
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Present results slip -> complete registration form -> pay non-refundable registration fee
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Receive: Log Book for rotation + Provisional Licence + code for National Service registration
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Complete rotation / National Service
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Return Log Book and Provisional Licence to the same Regional Office
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Receive PIN (nurses/midwives) or AIN (nurse assistants) + Certificate of Registration

Two legal rules sit behind this flow. Section 60 of Act 857 places newly qualified practitioners who have passed the examination on the provisional register, and section 63 lets provisional registrants practise only in hospitals or institutions approved by the Board. Section 61 then allows permanent registration after a period of provisional practice.

The Council's approved fees effective 22 May 2024 set the registration package for a basic-programme graduate at GH¢696: badge and code of conduct and ethics (GH¢285), induction service (GH¢285), PIN (GH¢71) and log book (GH¢55). The auxiliary package is GH¢598 (code of conduct GH¢242, induction GH¢285, AIN GH¢71). Registering more than six months after results are declared attracts a late-registration penalty (GH¢165, rising with longer delays).

PIN vs. AIN

The Council explains why the number matters: the PIN confirms professional status, no employer will employ a nurse assistant, nurse or midwife without a PIN or AIN, and practising without a valid PIN or AIN is an offence under section 73(d) of Act 857.

The Council's registration page also states what registration assures the public: that the practitioner has the qualifications needed to practise, has not been removed from the register for misconduct and works in a regulated profession. Registered nurses and midwives use knowledge and judgment to assess health needs, provide care, and advise and support people to manage their health.

[!IMPORTANT] Exam Alert: Scope-of-practice questions usually turn on supervision. A nurse assistant works under a registered nurse or midwife, and the registered nurse stays accountable for delegated care (see section 2.3). Task lists differ by facility, so answer from the principles of supervision and competence rather than an imagined list of banned tasks.

Licence Renewal and CPD

The Council's licence-renewal notice states that:

• A PIN or AIN, once issued, expires in twelve (12) calendar months, and renewal is through the Council's regional offices (the Council's website also offers online licence renewal);
• The applicant must have the required CPD points and two current passport pictures in prescribed uniform (red background for nurse assistants, white background for nurses).

The Council's CPD guideline adds that points should come from at least three different levels of activity. Its online CPD partner, WCEA, states that since June 2024 practitioners renewing from outside Ghana need an active subscription and 20 points (nurses and midwives) or 15 (nurse assistants) on that platform. The approved annual PIN/AIN renewal fee is GH¢71.

The Foreign-Trained Pathway

Section 59 of Act 857 requires foreign-trained nurses, midwives and nurse assistants with a recognised primary qualification to pass (or be exempted from) the prescribed examination and then train in an approved hospital with provisional registration. The Council's page lists the documents:

1. Transcript of training;
2. Three passport-sized photographs;
3. A copy of the birth certificate;
4. Photocopies of professional certificates (originals presented for inspection);
5. Marriage certificate, where applicable;
6. Two testimonials from employers where the applicant has practised for at least one year;
7. A copy of the last appointment letter;
8. Verification of registration from the original council or board;
9. A certificate of proficiency in English from an approved school of languages.

Documents in other languages must be translated into English, with a copy of the original attached.

After meeting these requirements, applicants sit a written examination held twice a year, in June and December (approved fee GH¢569). Successful candidates then:

1. Complete registration forms and pay the registration fee;
2. Undergo a three-month practical orientation in a teaching, regional or other Council-accredited hospital;
3. Are registered to practise on the basis of satisfactory performance during the orientation.

The 2024 fee schedule lists registration at the cedi equivalent of US$270 for Ghanaians and US$455 for non-Ghanaians; the Council's older registration page still quotes US$125, so rely on the current approved schedule.

Exam Traps at a Glance

• Registration begins at the Regional Office for the region of your training institution, not at the college.
• The log book and provisional licence are returned after rotation or National Service.
• PIN/AIN renewal needs both CPD points and payment.
• Foreign-trained applicants complete a three-month orientation after the written examination, not a new training programme.