Introduction

Latest News: July 2010

New Requirements for Continuing Professional Development and Recency of Practice

02 Jul 2010

Statement from AHPRA

Under the national registration and accreditation scheme, there are new registration standards relating to continuing professional development and recency of practice for all professions.

Practitioners who are registered at 30 June will transition into the new scheme automatically. When registrants renew in the first year, they will be asked to declare that they intend to meet the pro rata CPD requirements during their period of renewal.

All ten chairs of the National Boards wish to assure current registrants that they will have time to meet the new requirements. However, it is expected that all registrants will have met the CPD requirements of their registration standards when they renew in subsequent years.

In relation to recency of practice, at the time of renewal, all registrants will be required to declare that they meet the requirements of their National Board’s registration standard.

Where registrants declare that they do not meet the recency of practice requirements, the relevant National Board will consult with the registrant to decide on an agreed outcome.

Any practitioner who is not currently practising, may wish to consider whether to apply to change to non-practising registration type after having read and understood the definition of not practising the profession.

Registrants should also refer to their Board’s standards, codes and guidelines before seeking further information.

Latest News: May 2010

Monday 10 May 2010: Explanatory Notes for Part 2 of the Registration Form.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia has published notes to help nurses and midwives complete the "Part 2" form in the recent mail out. Check it out

NMBA transition of registration table: Read Now

Latest News: April 2010

In late April, every nurse in Australia will receive a letter from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia about the transition to the new national registration scheme.

Please check the registration type allocated to you in the April letter carefully. There will be no category for registration as a Mental Health Nurse so the name of your registration category may change.  If you are concerned about the type of registration allocated to you, you will need to contact AHPRA (www.ahpra.gov.au) about this.

The ACMHN is also concerned about how this process will affect Mental Health Nurses, so let us know about problems using the comment form at the bottom of this page.

Read a letter from Anne Copeland - chair of the NMBA - disseminated by the ANF regarding the new arrangements.

Read a copy of the information that will be sent to nurses about the new arrangments.

Read more about the transition to national registration here.

Registration Standards

1 April 2010: The Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council is pleased to announce that it has approved national health practitioner registration standards recommended by the ten National Boards established under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. Read the announcement

The standards that will come into effect from 1 July 2010 cover:

1. Criminal history
2. English language skills
3. Professional indemnity insurance
4. Continuing professional development
5. Recency of practice

The NMBA called for individuals and professional bodies to make written responses, to be lodged no later than Close of Business 24 November 2009.

See the NMBA Registration Standards.

See the NMBA Draft Accreditation Standards.

See the ACMHN Submission on the Draft Registration Standards.

Legislation

Who is on the NMBA?

Ms Gillie Anderson - community member
Ms Angela Brannelly - practitioner member (registered nurse and midwife) N.T. 
Professor Elizabeth (Mary) Chiarella - practitioner member (registered nurse) N.S.W.
Ms Anne Copeland - Chair, practitioner member (registered nurse and midwife) Q.L.D.
Dr Lynette Cusack - practitioner member (registered nurse) S.A.
Professor Denise Fassett - practitioner member (registered nurse) T.A.S.
Mrs Lynne Geri - practitioner member (enrolled nurse) V.I.C.
Ms Louise Horgan - practitioner member (registered nurse) W.A.
Ms Mary Kirk - practitioner member (registered nurse and midwife) A.C.T.
Dr Christine Murphy - community member
Ms Heather Sjoberg - community member
Ms Margaret Winn - community member

National Registration and Accreditation Scheme

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) at its meeting of 26 March 2008 took a major step towards improving Australia’s health system by signing an Intergovernmental Agreement on the health workforce.

The new system will for the first time create a single national registration and accreditation system for ten health professions: chiropractors; dentists (including dental hygienists, dental prosthetists and dental therapists); medical practitioners; nurses and midwives; optometrists; osteopaths; pharmacists; physiotherapists; podiatrists; and psychologists. The new arrangement will help health professionals move around the country more easily, reduce red tape, provide greater safeguards for the public and promote a more flexible, responsive and sustainable health workforce. For example, the new scheme will maintain a public national register for each health profession that will ensure that a professional who has been banned from practising in one place is unable to practise elsewhere in Australia.

Chinese medicine practitioners, medical radiation practitioners, and occupational therapists will also be included in the Scheme from 1 July 2012.

The Scheme will enable health professionals to practice in any jurisdiction and help to promote greater flexibility and efficiency of the health workforce. The Scheme aims to improve management of practitioners and will also aid in the detection of those engaged in misconduct, unacceptable practice or impairment issues.

How will the Scheme affect Mental Health Nurses?

Endorsement has not been included in the scheme for mental health nurses.

Compulsory Continuing Professional Development - In order to renew registration each year, all health professionals will need to have participated in an approved CPD program.

Other requirements - Mandatory reporting, student registration, criminal history and identity checks, strong community member representation on national boards, ombudsman arrangements and easier public access to make complaints, are some key aspects that will be provided for under the Scheme.

Contact Us

Members and non-members are encouraged to contact the ACMHN with any questions or comments relating to any issue surrounding registration and accreditation.