Privacy

Your privacy is important to us. We are committed to ensuring that information we hold about you is held securely and that your confidentiality is protected.

We support

• fair and open collection practices;
• processes that ensure information is accurate, complete and current;
• individuals' rights to see and where necessary correct information about themselves; and
• limiting the use of information.

This Policy explains how we treat information that we hold about you. It details the type of information we collect, how we may use that information, to whom we allow access and how we protect it.  NMCN reserves the right to change the terms of this Policy. 

If you have any questions relating to this Policy, or you would like the current version (in the event that since the issue of this version the Policy has been changed), please contact NMCN's Registrar.

Collection

We collect personal information as part of our ordinary function.  Personal information is information or an opinion about an individual whose identity is apparent from the information.

The types of personal information we collect in supplying our services include (but are not limited to) contact details, educational qualifications, employment information, and some sensitive information such as membership of professional organisations .

We will endeavour to collect most of this information directly from you but, if you have applied for recognition of overseas qualifications, we may also collect some of it from:

• overseas government departments and authorities;
• overseas educational institutions;
• overseas hospitals and health providers;
• other overseas organisations and institutions;
• our related entities; and
• your past and/or present employer.

There may be other persons and entities from whom , from time to time, we may collect your personal information.

No matter from whom we collect your personal information, we will be fair and open and we will not make any unreasonably intrusive enquiries.  You should be particularly aware, however, that when we consider it necessary we may ask an agent to collect your personal information in relation to the assessment of your overseas qualifications.

Where we collect information about you from someone else we will, wherever possible, make sure you know the information listed below unless telling you of these matters would pose a serious threat to the life or health of any individual.

When collecting personal information we will take reasonable steps to let you know:

• our identity and how to contact us;
• the fact that you can gain access to your information;
• the purpose for which the information is being collected;
• to whom we disclose this information;
• any law that requires information to be collected; and
• the main consequences (if any) for you if information is not provided.

Where practicable we will provide you with this information before or as soon as possible after we receive your personal information.  We will generally do this by issuing you with a Privacy Statement when we first collect your personal information.  The Privacy Statement relates not only to the information we collect on that occasion but also to any information we subsequently collect.

Of course, you can elect not to provide us with your personal information but this may affect our ability to undertake your assessment or provide you with accurate information.

NMCN collects your personal information for a number of purposes (primary purposes).  These include:

• to undertake an assessment of nursing qualifications and skills for overseas nurses who are intending to apply for migration to Nigeria;
• to undertake an assessment of nursing qualifications  and skills where a nurse has been referred to the NMCN by a state or territory nurse regulatory authority for this purpose; and
• to send to you publications and information as requested.

Use and Disclosure

We will not use or disclose personal information for a secondary purpose, unless:

• it is related to the primary purpose and where you would expect us to so use or disclose it;
• you have consented for us to use or disclose the information;
• we suspect unlawful activity and we use or disclose the personal information as a necessary part of our investigation or in reporting our concerns to the relevant persons or authorities;
• we reasonably believe the use or disclosure is necessary to reduce or prevent a serious and imminent threat to an individual's life, health or safety or a serious threat to the public;
• we reasonably believe the use or disclosure is necessary for an enforcement body to prevent, investigate or prosecute certain breaches of the law, the protection of the public revenue, seriously improper conduct or prescribed behaviour; or
• where we are required or authorised by law.

We may disclose your information to:

• our agents, consultants, auditors, contractors and contracted staff or service providers that provide administrative or other services in connection with the operation of our business;
• our bankers and other financial institutions in relation to any financing arrangement that we have or may establish at any time in the future;
• where we collect your information from someone else, or another entity, then we may disclose any of your personal information to that person or entity;
• relevant complaints tribunals and government agencies in accordance with our regulatory obligations;
• where the law requires or permits us to do so (such as to law enforcement agencies);
• your agent or with your consent to other persons.

Privacy statement

The NMCN   has collected your personal information and, in accordance with its Privacy Policy, will hold it in its secure database.  Personal information is any information or opinion about an individual whose identity is apparent from the information.  We consider that holding your personal information is important and we take your right to privacy very seriously.  To this end, we have issued this Privacy Statement to explain why we collect your personal information and how we may use or disclose it.

We collect personal information such as (but not limited to) contact details, educational qualifications, employment information, financial details (in relation to payment for our services), and some sensitive information such as racial or ethnic origin and membership of professional organisations . The full details of the personal information we collect can be found in the questions we ask and/or in the forms you have completed in relation to your dealings with NMCN.

In some situations we may have collected your personal information from a third party such as overseas organisations and institutions, government departments and authorities, educational institutions, hospitals and health providers.  We collect and use personal information for the primary purpose of providing assessments of nursing skills and qualifications and issuing our publications and related information. If you do not provide the personal information we seek, we may not be able to undertake the required assessment or provide you with accurate information.

In addition to the primary purpose outlined above, we may also use your personal information (other than sensitive information) for research and internal administrative purposes.

All of the personal information we hold about you is held on a password protected database or in secure files. Only authorised officers of NMCN may access the database and only for purposes outlined in our Privacy Policy. Once we no longer have a need for your personal information we will destroy or de-identify it.  From time to time, we may disclose your personal information to certain organisations . If we do this we require these parties to protect your personal information in the same way we do.  The types of organisations we may disclose your personal information to include:

• external service providers that provide NMCN with financial, legal, administrative and other services;
• other nursing councils (and similar organisations), health and language education facilities, and related bodies, whether overseas or in Nigeria;
• government agencies (as part of our regulatory or statutory obligations);
• if we collect your information from someone else or another entity, including an overseas authority, hospital or institution, or representatives then we may disclose your personal information to that person or entity; and
• your agent.

If you sign an NMCN application form or request us to send you information we will take it that you consent to us collecting, using, disclosing and handling your personal information (including sensitive information) as set out in this Privacy Statement.  You agree also that you have made this Privacy Statement (or a copy) available to any person whose personal information you have given to us.

You can request access to the personal information we hold about you and you may ask us at any time to correct it. For more information or access to your personal information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. There may be a reasonable fee for accessing your personal information.