Role of Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation

This document discusses the role of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) in the healthcare profession. It explains the functions and responsibilities of NMBA, including registration of practitioners, setting standards, handling complaints, and approving courses. It also highlights the role of ANMF in representing the interests of nurses and midwives, improving working conditions, and advancing the profession. The document also provides an overview of the registration standards set by NMBA and their relevance to future practice as an Enrolled Nurse. It covers standards related to continuous professional development, criminal history, English language proficiency, professional indemnity, and recency of practice. Additionally, it outlines the Enrolled Nurse Standards for Practice, which define the core standards for evaluating the practice of enrolled nurses.

Running head: ASSESSMENT TASK 1
Assessment Task 1
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Part A
The role of the following bodies:
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
The coveted body of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) are
responsible for carrying out various tasks owing to the healthcare services within the Australian
domicile. One of the primary functions of this body is to register nursing as well as midwifery
practitioners and students. Further, it is also entrusted with the authority of improvising
standards, codes and guidelines in connection with the nursing and midwifery profession. Apart
from these principal modes of operations, NMBA also holds the authority to handle the
notifications, disciplinary charges, complaints and investigations. Moreover, NMBA is also
responsible for rendering approval to the accreditation standards in addition to the accredited
courses of study. It has also been noticed that NMBA has carried out the establishment of certain
Sate and Territory Boards for ensuring support to the work of the National Board within the
national scheme. It has been decided that the National Board will carry the action of setting
policies and standards, while the State and Territory Boards will carry on their tasks of making
individual notification apart from the registration decisions in relation to individual nurses and
midwives. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) support the
functions of NMBA (Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au, 2019).
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF)
The title of the Australia’s largest national union and professional nursing and midwifery
organization is affixed to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF). The
professional, industrial and political interests of greater than 275,000 nurses, midwives and
carers across the nation is represented by ANMF apart from collaboration with ANMF’s eight
state as well as territory branches. The members of ANMF carry out their works across a
multitude of rural, urban and remote locations spanning in the domains of public and private
health, disability and age care quarters. ANMF strives to offer means of improvement meant for
the workers associated for facilitating the access for safe and best practice intervention with
respect to each and every one of the settings. Furthermore, ANMF also aspires to lend support to

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the professionals in realizing their professional goals and commitments conducive for achieving
a healthy work-life balance. The dual and integrated function of both a trade union apart from
being a professional organization has put ANMF in a unique position, evident from the strong
and growing membership. Constant endeavors by ANMF for better understanding of the
professional aspects have also garnered adequate attention for safeguarding and advancing the
profession (Secretary & Secretary, 2019).
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Registration Standards and relation of these
standards related to future practice as an Enrolled Nurse ("Nursing and Midwifery Board of
Australia - Registration Standards", 2019):
Registration standard: Continuous Professional Development
This is applicable to the virtues that are required out of the professionals who are
responsible for maintaining, improving and widening the horizon of their knowledge,
competence and expertise for the sake of developing personal and professional qualities that in
turn might be helpful or lead to development of their professional lives. As an Enrolled Nurse,
this registration standard is of great importance whereby the nurses must make themselves
abreast of acquiring the desirable skills and deriving the necessary knowledge in the pursuit of
their profession meant for offering the optimal and safe healthcare facilities to the distressed
ailing patients.
Registration standard: Criminal History
As far as this standard is concerned, 10 factors have been laid out for the consideration of
the National Board in arriving at a decision whether a healthcare practitioner’s criminal history is
pertinent in practicing their profession as per the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law as
have been put force in each state and territory. Therefore, every case is judged on an individual
basis considering the factors as laid down by the appropriate authority. As an Enrolled Nurse,
declaration must be given for criminal history to ensure only the suitable candidates who can
practice safely are granted registration in Australia.
Registration standard: English Language

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It is an important criterion whereby the healthcare practitioners who meet this standard
based on the results from an English language test are asked to give a declaration stating that
English continues to be their primary language as they apply for upgrading from non-practicing
to practicing registration. For an Enrolled Nurse to be registered, evidence must be provided in
support that he/she has completed successfully a minimum of five years of uninterrupted
education, taught and evaluated only in English from a recognized nation that encompass
vocational qualifications in the concerned professional discipline to be eligible for registration
under National law.
Registration standard: Professional Indemnity
This is applicable to the healthcare practitioners whereby they must hold registration
based on appropriate professional indemnity insurance (PII) arrangements surrounding their
practice. PII secures for the healthcare professionals, rendering insurance against civil liability
emanating from a claim made due to negligence, omission or error in the conduct of the nurse
and/or midwife. An enrolled Nurse is capable of being covered by own PII arrangements or
third party PII arrangements covering all aspects and locations of practice, irrespective of the
sector of work and the capacity of action. Justification for PII is also required to be presented
when asked for.
Registration standard: Recency of Practice
It refers to the fact that the nurse or midwife has hold up to the standard of maintaining
the sufficient association with and the recent practice of nursing and/or midwifery since the time
of qualification or being registered. This is in view of the notion that the nurses and midwives
must possess skills and knowledge that are updated and current. In case of an enrolled nurse,
receny of practice is a desirable skill to ensure that they have sufficient knowledge and skills to
ensure optimal healthcare service for the patients, at the same time denotes vital marker of career
progression.
Enrolled Nurse Standards for Practice
This refers to the core practicing standards that offer the structure for evaluating the
enrolled nurse’s practice. The standards that may be expected out of the nurses are outlined for

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clearer communication to the public, thereby ensuring a professional code of conduct in which
the nurses act in accordance with the established legislations and guidelines. They are of
particular significance in the domains of professional and collaborative practice, provision of
care, reflective and analytical care to ensure best possible outcomes through appropriate
healthcare services to the patient ("Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Enrolled nurse
standards for practice", 2019).

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References
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Enrolled nurse standards for practice. (2019).
Retrieved from https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-
Statements/Professional-standards/enrolled-nurse-standards-for-practice.aspx
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Registration Standards. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx
Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au. (2019). Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Home.
[online] Available at: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/ [Accessed 5 Jun.
2019].
Secretary, A., & Secretary, L. (2019). Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation. Retrieved
from http://anmf.org.au/