Regulating Nurse Practitioners

Petrina Halloran

Manager Nursing and Midwifery Policy

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

21 March 2013

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A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who is

educated and endorsed to function autonomously

and collaboratively in an advanced and extended

clinical role. The nurse practitioner role includes

assessment and management using nursing

knowledge and skills

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Distribution of Nurse Practitioners

3

140

10

70 201

211

103

20

30

National Regulation of Health

Professionals

• The National Registration and Accreditation

Scheme- 14 Health Professions from 1 July 2012

• AHPRA

• Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia

• Standards

• Guidelines

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Endorsement requirements

• current general registration as a registered nurse

with no conditions on registration relating to

unsatisfactory professional performance or

unprofessional conduct;

• the equivalent of three (3) years’ full time

experience in an advanced practice nursing role

within the previous six (6) years from date of

lodgement of application;

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• Advanced practice defines a level of nursing

practice that utilises extended and expanded skills,

experience and knowledge in the assessment,

planning, implementation, diagnosis and evaluation

of [nursing] care required. Nurses practising at this

level are educationally prepared at postgraduate

level and may work in a specialist or generalist

capacity. However, the basis of advanced practice

is the high degree of knowledge, skill and

experience applied in the nurse-patient/client

relationship to achieve optimal outcomes through

critical analysis, problem solving and accurate

decision-making.

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Endorsement requirements

• completion of a Board approved nurse practitioner

program of study at Master’s level or equivalent as

determined by the Board;

• compliance with the Board’s Competency

Standards for the Nurse Practitioner;

• compliance with the Board’s Registration Standard

for Continuing Professional Development as a

Registered Nurse

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Application tips

• CV and statement of service should match

• Advanced practice in a clinical role should be

clearly identified in the CV

• Advanced practice hours should be clearly

identified

• CPD hours should be clearly identified

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Ongoing endorsement

• Annual declaration

• CPD

• Recency of Practice

• PII

• Safety and Quality Framework

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Safety and quality framework

• scope of practice

• codes of professional conduct and ethics

• national competency standards

• annual declaration

• Board audit process

• mandatory reporting

10

Safety and quality framework

• notification and management of performance,

conduct or health matters

• co-regulatory requirements of Medicare and the

Board

• prescribing authority and compliance with state and

territory legislation and

• Collaborative arrangements

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PBS and MBS

• Amendment of federal legislation in November

2010

• Collaborative arrangements

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Future for Nurse Practitioner

regulation

• Review of the competency standards for the nurse

practitioner

• There are some employment differences as

determined by the legislation, DoH and employers

in each state and territory

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Further Information

www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au

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