The Professional Regulation Of Nursing

Question 1

Objectives of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme

Answer 1

• protect the public
• facilitate workplace mobility
• facilitate provision of high quality education and training of health professionals
• facilitate assessment of overseas trained health professionals
• facilitate access to services

Question 2

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)

Answer 2

• registers nursing and midwifery students
• develops standards, codes and guidelines for the profession
• handles notifications and complaints
• assess overseas trained nurses wish to practice in Australia
• approves accreditation standards and accredited courses of study

Question 3

NMBA registration

Answer 3

• 2 separate registers for nursing and midwifery
• student registration n the interest of public safety
• information received from education provider
• manages notifications about students: impairment, offence, contravening an existing condition or undertaking

Question 4

Registration standards

Answer 4

Under the national law, a person must hold an approved qualification for the profession

NMBA has 5 additional standards

• continuing professional development
• criminal hx registration
• English language skills registration
• professional indemnity insurance
• decency of practice registration

Question 5

Notification and complaints

Answer 5

Unsatisfactory professional conduct:

• breach of national law or registration conditions
• conviction for an offence affecting suitability to practice
• influencing the conduct of another health professional affecting patient care

Question 6

Professional misconduct

Answer 6

• conduct that is substantially below that which is reasonably expected
• more than one instance of unprofessional conduct
• conduct not consistent with being a fit and proper person to hold registration as a nurse

Question 7

Notifiable conduct

Answer 7

Under the national law, this term is used in the context of mandatory notification. It means a nurse has:

• practiced their profession while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs
• engaged in sexual misconduct in connection with the practice of their profession
• placed the public at risk of substantial harm in their practice of the profession because they have an impairment
• placed the public at risk of harm because they practiced their profession in a way that constitutes a significant departure from accepted professional standards

Question 8

What are the stages of the complaints process?

Answer 8

1. AHPRA receives the complaint
2. Preliminary assessment and outcome
3. Investigation
4. Panel hearing
5. Tribunal hearing

Question 9

AHPRA

Answer 9

• organisation which regulates more than 560 000 health practitioners
• legislation that governs AHPRAs operations is the HEALTH PRACTITIONERS NATIONAL LAW ACT (national law)
• AHPRA supports 14 national boards in their primary role of protecting the public
• AHPRA. Administers the national registration and accreditation scheme