The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) is a peak body established in 1992 to facilitate a national approach to nursing and midwifery regulation. The ANMC works with state and territory Nursing and Midwifery Regulatory Authorities (NMRA) in evolving standards for statutory nursing and midwifery regulation. These standards are flexible, effective and responsive to the health care requirements of the Australian population.
The ANMC is also an authorised assessing authority for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and undertakes skills assessments of internationally qualified nurses and midwives seeking permanent migration in Australia;
National Registration and Accreditation Scheme Update
On 26 March, 2008 the Council of Australian Governments signed the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for a National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for the Health Professions. The meeting communiqué and the IGA are both available on the COAG website http://www.coag.gov.au
The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Bill 2009 has now been introduced in the Queensland parliament and can be accessed at http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/Bills/53PDF/2009/HealPraRegNLB09.pdf
Mr Martin Fletcher has now been appointed by the Agency Management Committee as the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and will take up the new position in December 2009 after nearly three years as Chief Executive of the National Patient Safety Agency in the United Kingdom.
The new national Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia has been appointed and has held two meetings.
The ANMC congratulates the Chair and Members of the inaugural Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia on their appointment.
Communiqués from the Board are available at http://www.ahpra.gov.au
http://www.anmc.org.au/professional_standards
Nurses Board of Victoria
The Nurses Board of Victoria is a self-funded statutory authority incorporated under the Health Professions Registration Act 2005. Now in its 14th year of operation, nurses have been regulated in Victoria for more than 80 years.
As an organisation responsible to a Board, the NBV is well aware of their legislative commitments and functions as well as their role within the greater Victorian community, their largest stakeholder. Other stakeholders include all registered nurses, education providers, Directors of Nursing, unions, the Department of Health and the Minister for Health.
The Board regulates and promotes nurses and midwives in the interests of the Victorian public and the nursing and midwifery profession as a whole. The NBV is proactive in their communications with the public and other bodies, both in Australia and overseas, and constantly monitor the trends affecting the profession and the delivery of healthcare.
All NBV functions are open and transparent, showing ethical, responsible and accountable management. The NBV takes a leadership role and are actively involved with projects around Australia and overseas, particularly those relating to education and regulation.
The NBV protects the Victorian public by regulating all fields of nursing, ensuring those using the healthcare system can be confident that anyone bearing the title of registered nurse (RN) or registered midwife is educated and competent, meeting the high standards required by their registration.