People behind the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) have been keen on providing ways to address issues regarding their registration process efficiently. To employ more qualified nurses and midwives, the NMBA is continuously strategizing procedures to meet its goals.
Generally, the main goal of the NMBA is to guarantee that nurses and midwives treat patients safely and effectively. Hence, further enhancing the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. They do this by establishing the educational, professional, and ethical standards, rules, and codes of behavior that direct nurses and midwives in their day-to-day work.
NMBA’s New Measures to Employ IQNMs Faster
There has been a sustained increase in the number of overseas-qualified nurses and midwives applications in Australia. After the NMBA introduced several initiatives to get these aspiring individuals work-ready sooner in the country, these measures were made primarily to support and ease the work strain on their current workforce.
Returning Former Registered Nurses and Midwives
Former registered nurses and midwives who haven’t worked for 10-15 years are now eligible for conditional or provisional registration. In addition, these nurses and midwives may be allowed to complete a six-month re-entry program. Compared to a university assessment, which could take over a year after evaluation.
Moreover, to determine how to further simplify a former nurse or midwife’s return to practice, the NMBA is also conducting a thorough assessment of the policy on re-entry to practice for nurses and midwives. Adjunct Professor Veronica Casey, chair of the NMBA Board, stated that the need for more facile pathways to practice safely in Australia is ever-present.
IQNMs Streamlined Registration Process
More efforts are also afoot to help internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNMs) register in Australia quicker. For IQNMs seeking to register in Australia, the NMBA increased the number of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) at Adelaide Health Simulation by over 30% this year, reducing examination wait times.
In Australia, OSCEs are commonly utilized as a thorough evaluation technique for medical students, nurses, and other allied health practitioners. Additionally, these tests aim to examine a candidate’s practical ability, clinical reasoning, and communication skills in a standardized way.
Furthermore, the NMBA is considering a secondary OSCE location later this year. That is because of the continued rise of international applications in early 2023. Over 2200 IQNM applicants registered this year, and almost 500 have sat for the exam over two weeks, the most extensive exam takers at a time.
Online Registered Nurse OSCE Preparatory Course
Currently, the NMBA supports the development of an accessible OSCE preparatory course. This will aid IQNMs in preparing for the test and give important information about the Australian healthcare system. Moreover, having an OSCE preparatory course within reach enables exam takers to navigate the actual OSCE more comfortably.
Summing-Up
To achieve its long-term goal of employing more IQNMs faster, the NMBA launched several efforts to support and lessen the workload on their current workforce while preparing these aspirants for employment in the country. These initiatives include a six-month re-entry program for returning former nurses and midwives, streamlining the registration process for IQNMs, and an online OSCE preparatory course.
The NMBA hopes that these changes will further boost the registration of additional nurses and midwives in the long run.
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