Nursing in an International Context

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Nursing in an International Context
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Introduction
The nursing practice differs from one country to the other. At the same time, there still
exist similarities between nations with respect to nursing practice. These differences and
similarities are often thought to pose a multitude of implications for nursing management,
affecting research, clinical practice, and nursing education. In this paper, the comparison and
contrast of the Australian and Chinese nursing system are provided. The Australian regulation
requires that all nurses abide by the minimum criterion of CPD standards in order to get
renewed. They are also required to keep CPD documentation as evidence that they have
completed the minimum hours per year. In contrast, China has no CPD requirements dictating
renewal of nurse memberships. Additionally, while nurses in China are only allowed to work in
certain cities or regions as per the awarded licenses, nurses in Australia can practice across
territories and states. More detailed analysis and comparison of the two countries is done in this
paper.
Nursing in Australia
The Australian territory and state governments introduced the National Registration and
Accreditation Scheme in 2010 for the purposes of registering health care practitioners including
nurses (NRAS, 2014, n.d.). The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law is concerned with
governing this scheme (HPRNLQ, 2010, n.d.). Ideally, NRAS is dedicated to protecting the
interests of the general public through guaranteeing that only the qualified nurses enter the
Australian health care system. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council
generally ensure health safety of all Australians by ascertaining that nursing and midwifery
programs offered are of the required quality (ANMAC, 2015, n.d). Upon successfully
completing the educational programs endorsed by the ANMAC, midwives and nurses are

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considered competent and can, therefore, seek membership in the Nursing and Midwifery Board
of Australia. Additionally, they are required by the professional code of conduct to offer health
care that is safe and competent across all nursing practice domains. The national law mandates
the NMBA to regulate and register midwives and nurses. In simpler terms, for one to get
registered and enrolled as a nurse in Australia, a person should complete a degree or diploma
nursing program which is approved by the ANMAC and seek membership with the NMBA,
which is ideally done through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Essentially,
the Australian nursing registration system is comprised of three levels, which include an Enrolled
Nurse (EN), Registered Nurse (RN), and Nurse Practitioner (NP). To get a Diploma of Enrolled
Nursing in the country, one needs to complete a 12 to 18 months course, either studying full-time
or part-time. Under a registered nurse’s supervision, an EN offers health care services to patients
within a diverse array of clinical environments (Jacob, Sellick and McKenna, 2012 p. 305). After
finishing an ANMAC endorsed the program, an EN can thereafter become a registered nurse.
Notwithstanding, recognition of EN’s comes before learning and experience.
A registered nurse needs to pursue a Bachelor of Nursing for 3 to 3.5 years, either full-
time or part-time. Some of the major responsibilities of a registered nurse include offering direct
care to patients, engaging in research and offering education services, staff management,
promotion of health, and coordination of care (Birks et al., 2013, p.28). A registered nurse has
multiple avenues of career advancement, including the potential to specialize in advanced
practice roles. A nurse practitioner essentially a registered nurse with in-depth knowledge and
experience and has completed a master’s degree in the relevant field. A nurse practitioner can
operate independently and/or work as a team in a more advanced clinical role (Wand et al., 2012,
p 153). Some of the prime responsibilities of a nurse practitioner include management and