HLTENN001 NMBA Professional Guidelines for Nursing Practice

This assignment provides an overview of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and its role in regulating nursing and midwifery practices in Australia. It discusses the NMBA's registration standards, including Continuous Professional Development (CPD), criminal history, English language skills, Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII), and recency of practice. The assignment also explores the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and its role in advocating for nurses and midwives. Furthermore, it includes a practical scenario involving wound dressing and applies the NMBA's decision-making framework to address the situation, highlighting the necessary skills and knowledge required for effective wound management. Learning activities for acquiring these skills are also discussed. The document emphasizes the importance of adhering to NMBA standards for safe and professional nursing practice. The assignment is contributed by a student and available on Desklib, a platform offering study tools and resources for students.

Running head: NMBA 1
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Part A
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia is entrusted with the role of regulating
practice of midwifery and nursing in addition to protecting the public (Koutoukidis, Stainton, &
Hughson, 2012). In order to achieve the fore mentioned, it develops grounds for registration,
professional standards, guidelines and codes which collectively are the foundations of safe and
professional practice of midwives and nurses in Australia.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation is a trade union composed of nurses and
mid-wives. It is the largest union in Australia and its chief role is to advocate for the
advancement of political, professional and industrial status of its members (Masters, 2015).
NMBA Registration standards
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) relates to how midwives and nurses are to
maintain broaden and improve their expertise, competence and knowledge with regards to their
area of profession. It also refers to how nurses continuously develop professional and personal
qualities as it calls for them to in their line of work (Hearle, Lawson, & Morris, 2016). The
standard calls for nursing professionals to continuously embark on developing new skills and
knowledge by acknowledging that they are not limited to the knowledge they had gained up to
graduation (Freshwater & Masiln-Prothero, 2013). As an enrolled nurse, I will have to become
competent by acquiring, maintaining, broadening and improving the relevant knowledge and
expertise in the nursing field. Developing personal and professional qualities will also be a task

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for me to undertake so that I can excel in the field. I will therefore embrace siphoning new skills
and knowledge that will be of help throughout my professional life.
On registration to NMBA, Criminal history registration standard calls upon the applicant
to disclose all their criminal histories from any country worldwide (Chang & Daly, 2015). Any
applicant must reveal whether they have been charged with any offence punishable by 12
months’ imprisonment or convicted/found guilty of any offence which imprisonment is its
punishment in Australia or abroad. By doing so, it ascertains that registration is granted only to
those midwives and nurses who are safe and most suitable to practice (Staunton & Chiarella,
2012). This standard will be of great significance when I become an enrolled nurse as it will
have helped me evade involving in any criminal activity that could destroy my reputation an
eventually ruin my career. The standard will also aid in maintaining clean records as I will have
to disclose criminal history changes if there are any upon renewal of registration.
English language skills registration standard aims at laying relevant grounds whereby
midwifery and nursing applicants can effectively demonstrate their English language skills
(Berman, et al., 2014). Such skills are crucial in day to day running of nursing activities and
more so for communication. In relation to my future practice as an enrolled nurse, this standard
will aid greatly in development of my English language skills and therefore facilitate proper
communication with patients and colleagues. It will also play a significant role in ensuring that I
can properly maintain medical records that needs to be documented in English.
Professional indemnity insurance (PII) arrangements refers to certain plans that guarantee
for the professional practice of midwives and/or nurses and insures them against any civil
liability that may arise out of, or such loss emanating from, claim that is made due to omission,
error or any negligent act in the undertakings of the midwife and/or nurse (Phelps & Hassed,

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2012). During my practice as an enrolled nurse, this standard will protect me from being held
liable for such actions that I’ll have done in my undertakings and have resulted to unintentional
loss. In all professional fields, errors could be avoided at all costs but at times they are inevitable
and such could bring about liability as fore mentioned.
Recency of practice standard aims at ensuring that adequate connection has been
maintained between a mid-wife and/or a nurse and the most recent practices in midwifery and/or
nursing taking into account the duration since qualification for or obtaining of registration
(Fedoruk & Hofmeyer, 2012). It is this standard that will ensure that as an enrolled nurse, I will
keep myself updated with the recent and emerging trends in midwifery to ensure that the quality
of service I offer to my patients will be up to date and employing the most recent and advanced
nursing techniques.
In conclusion, Enrolled Nurse Standards for Practice refers to the chief standards of
practice that are basically the roots of the framework used to assess enrolled nurse practice
(Berman, et al., 2014). They again significantly communicate to the public at large what
standards they are to expect from enrolled nurses. Upon notification, the nursing and midwifery
board of Australia and other relevant and relate courts and tribunals use these standards in
examination of professional matters or conduct. These standards therefore will act as guiding
lights in all my undertakings as an enrolled nurse as they will communicate clearly what is
expected from me and I’ll embark on fulfilling the same.

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Part B
Introduction
Attending class theoretical lessons on various nursing activities is one thing while putting
into actual practice the concepts learnt is another. The latter could prove quite difficult and
challenging to handle especially on the initial stages upon entry into enrolled nurse practice. To
change the dressing on an infected wound located on a patient’s abdomen, it calls for extra
keenness and advanced skills for careful approach to ensure that no extra damage is done to the
wound but instead it is dressed appropriately to ensure that it heals as quickly as possible while
at the same time ensuring that all infections that could get into the wound are prevented.
Response to the Scenario Using the NMBA’s Standards and Decision Making Framework
Following the decision making framework and the standards stipulated by Nursing and
Midwifery Board of Australia, the basic step will be to seek clear understanding of how to
conduct the whole exercise in accordance with procedures, policies and laws that affect Enrolled
Nurse practice after clearly identifying the patient’s needs. I will again ensure that the rights,
respect, dignity and confidentiality of the patient will be upheld during the whole dressing of the
wound exercise. In addition, I must accept to be held accountable and responsible for my actions
that I will take during the exercise. Thereafter, information obtained from various sources and
relating to treatment and dressing of infected abdominal wounds will be interpreted to facilitate
planning for appropriate care. Upon reflecting on the fore mentioned scopes of nursing practice,
the final consideration before settling down on performing the activity will be to consider
organizational support or relevant context of practice. Summarily, the decision making
framework is described as; first identify the need of the patient. Based on the identified needs,

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reflect on nursing practice standards. Following will be to consider the relevant context of
practice. The appropriate personnel based on competence is then selected to undertake the
activity. (LeMone, Burke, Dwyer, Levett-Jones, & Moxham, 2015)
Skills and Knowledge required
There are number of skills and knowledge required to successfully change the dressing
mentioned in the scenario in question. To begin with, it is worth noting that the interior of a
wrapper that is sterile could be used as a sterile field. It will be of great significance that I assess
the patient for pain around thirty minutes prior to changing the dressing of a wound. After the
assessment, I will administer Parenteral pain medications if need there be. It is also important to
monitor closely the skin around the wound to find out if ii is broken and irritated. I should be
well acquitted with measuring skills as measurements should be done on the wound to establish
its size taking into consideration all dimensions. The wound should again be cleaned carefully to
remove all dead tissue lying at the wound bed. Appropriate medication should then be applied on
the wound to eradicate any prevailing infection and avoid further infections. The wound
environment should be maintained in a moist condition to aid in production of higher levels of
collagen in the wound bed and aid in migration of epidermal cells by using the appropriate
dressing material. The fore mentioned call for me to be well informed with skills and relevant
wound management knowledge. Prevailing learning needs are acquisition of relevant skills and
knowledge on proper medication to be used during the whole exercise. (Baranoski & Ayello,
2008)

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Learning Activities
So as to meet the learning needs mentioned above and be in a capacity to effectively
change the wound dressing, there are learning activities that I ought to embark on to acquire the
relevant skills. It will be of much importance to first learn on how to assess and describe the type
of wound that is prevailing. Learning on that will set the base of making a choice on the type of
dressing to use. I will need exposure to various types of wounds is necessary to aid in assessing
and evaluation of wound edges, bed and periwound skin and again witness when such wounds
are being treated. Learning on the various types of medications used for wound treatment and
dressing will be crucial for appropriate decision making when dressing the wound. (Hess, 2008)
Additionally, I would require coaching from the more experienced nurses in the hospital.
Conclusion
It can therefore be concluded that for an enrolled nurse to successfully change the
dressing of any wound, he/she must have acquired all the relevant wound management skills. It
is therefore important to undertake all learning activities that will have direct positive implication
on the quality of nursing care that a nurse in question can provide during wound management
process.

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References
Baranoski, S., & Ayello, E. A. (2008). Wound Care Essentials: Practice Principles. Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins.
Berman, A., Snyder, S., Kozier, B., Erb, G., Levett-Jones, T., Dwyer, T., . . . Stanley, D. (2014).
Kozier & Erb's Fundamentals of Nursing Australian Edition. Pearson Higher Education
AU.
Chang, E., & Daly, J. (2015). Transitions in Nursing - E-Book: Preparing for Professional
Practice. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Fedoruk, M., & Hofmeyer, A. (2012). Becoming A Nurse:: Making the Transition to Practice.
OUP Australia & New Zealand.
Freshwater, D., & Masiln-Prothero, S. (2013). Blackwell's Nursing Dictionary. John Wiley &
Sons.
Hearle, D., Lawson, S., & Morris, R. (2016). A Strategic Guide to Continuing Professional
Development for Health and Care Professionals: The TRAMm Model. Keswick: M&K
Update Ltd.
Hess, C. T. (2008). Skin and Wound Care. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Koutoukidis, G., Stainton, K., & Hughson, J. (2012). Tabbner's Nursing Care - E-Book: Theory
and Practice. Elsevier Health Sciences.
LeMone, P., Burke, K., Dwyer, T., Levett-Jones, T., & Moxham, L. (2015). Medical-Surgical
Nursing. Pearson Higher Education AU.

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Masters, K. (2015). Role Development in Professional Nursing Practice. Burlington: Jones &
Bartlett Publishers.
Phelps, K., & Hassed, C. (2012). Joints and Connective Tissues: General Practice: The
Integrative Approach Series. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Staunton, P. J., & Chiarella, M. (2012). Law for Nurses and Midwives. Elsevier Australia.