Australian Nurse Practitioners Update – February 2013.
Overall
Project work for Nurse Practitioner (NP) roles commenced over 20 years ago in the state of New South Wales Australia with the first NP being endorsed/ authorised in the year 2000.
Australia previously had six state and two territory governments with differing requirements for endorsement. In July 2010 national registration for nurses & other health professionals was implemented with the creation of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (AHPRA) and the Nurse and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). Australia now has two defined streams to become a NP. The NP masters and a NMBA determined equivalent NP masters.
Currently
The NMBA has commissioned a research project, which is currently being conducted by Southern Cross University and the University of Sydney. Its aim is to review the current approved National competency standards for the Nurse Practitioner with a view to possibly developing new competency standards and thus new NP endorsement requirements. The results of which should be available mid to late 2013.
Nurse and Midwifery Board of Australia
Currently there are 788 NPs endorsed in Australia
Website: www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au
Australian Capital Territory
Currently there are 30 NPs endorsed in the Australian Capital Territory.
Website: http://www.health.act.gov.au/professionals/nursing-midwifery/nurse-practitioners
New South Wales
There are currently 211 NPs endorsed in New South Wales. With one a midwife practitioner and the only currently practicing one in Australia
Website: http://www0.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/practitioner/nurse_practitioner.asp
Northern Territory
There are 10 NPs currently endorsed in the Northern Territory.
Website: http://www.nursing.nt.gov.au/
Queensland
There are currently 201 endorsed nurse practitioners working in Queensland.
Website: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/nmoq/nurse-practitioner/default.asp
South Australia
There are currently 70 endorsed nurse practitioners working in South Australia.
Website: http://www.nursingsa.com/prof_practitioner.php
Tasmania
There are currently 20 endorsed nurse practitioners working in Tasmania.
Website: http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/healthprofessionals/nursing/nurse_practitioner
Victoria
There are 103 NPs endorsed in Victoria in eight areas of state required authorisation. These are
· Nurse practitioner category- Acute & Supportive care
· Nurse practitioner category - Care of the older person or Aged care
· Nurse practitioner category - Critical care
· Nurse practitioner category - Maternity care
· Nurse practitioner category - Mental health care
· Nurse practitioner category - Paediatric care
· Nurse practitioner category - Perioperative care
· Nurse practitioner category - Primary care
Website: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/nursing/furthering/practitioner
Western Australia
There are 140 NPs currently registered in Western Australia.
Website: http://www.nursing.health.wa.gov.au/career/np.cfm
Not stated
There are three endorsed NPs who do not practice within a particular state
Educational requirements
There are many Australian universities which offer Masters courses specifically for NP endorsement with others offering components that maybe utilised to augment these course or be used to apply for endorsement by the process of equivalency.
Timeframe for completion of these programs ranges from 1-4 years study depending on past postgraduate education.
Current Approved University Nurse Practitioner Courses in Australia.
· Australian Catholic University
· Centre for Remote Health /Flinders University & Charles Darwin University
· Charles Darwin University
· Curtin University of Technology
· Deakin University
· Edith Cowan University
· Flinders University
· Griffith University
· James Cook University
· La Trobe University
· Queensland University of Technology
· University of Adelaide
· University of Melbourne
· University of Newcastle
· University of Queensland
· University of South Australia
· University of Sydney
· University of Technology Sydney
· University of Western Sydney (Mental Health)
Representation
· Australian College of Nurse Practitioners
· Australian Nursing Federation
· Australian College of Nursing