Without a doubt, Australia is among the top established healthcare industries in the world. In a competitive industry as such, Allied Health plays a critical role in shaping the future of the industry. In the Australian healthcare sector, Nursing has as much reputation and an available demand which is rapidly growing. Therefore,  after GPs, Nursing dominates the Australian healthcare sector. In order to become a nurse in Australia, you have to fulfill some government requirements, and in Australia, Nursing always goes in hand with Midwifery, which also has an impact on the Australian Allied health sector.

Currently, positions such as Registered Nurse, Enrolled Nurse, and Nursing Practitioner have the attention in the job market. But even to become an enrolled nurse, one must complete a diploma available for the position. In order to become a RN or go beyond one must have a bachelor in Nursing. Therefore, the journey of becoming a nurse in Australia is quite hard and is subjected to many accreditations, yet it is worth at the end.

What is accreditation and why it is important?

Accreditation of institutes and educational programs is an important part of the education system of any country. Likewise in Australia, Nursing education is also accredited by government institutions. The goal of authorization is to guarantee that institutions of higher education meet adequate levels of excellence. In order to maintain standards or to improve standards of education accreditation is mandatory in any form of education. Most of the time, programmatic accreditation is more important and essential than institutional accreditation. Through accreditation, it clearly depicts that the nursing program meets all the required education of the accreditation governing body.

Maintenance of the highest standard of excellence is crucial as it shapes the quality of the job role and eventually how it will affect the society and the economy of the country. Nursing in Australia has its own reputation and is contributing to the overall success of the healthcare industry in Australia due to these factors of a strong foundation. In order to provide better medical care and also to be a part of the renowned industry basic principles as such helps to offer excellent teaching and curricula to the graduates. This also helps relevant government authorities to closely monitor these programs and develop better programs and medical care. In the journey of being one of the most established and successful healthcare in the world, the founding qualities of maintaining quality and standard are key factors.

Nursing Accreditation in Australia

Nursing accreditation in Australia is conducted by 03 main government bodies, even though you are a local or an international graduate and solely based on your nursing position.  To become an enrolled nurse in Australia, one must complete a Diploma of Nursing or Certificate 4 of Nursing. This diploma makes you eligible to apply for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Authority (AHPRA) and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). These two government bodies are the major regulatory bodies in Australia regarding Nursing. AHPRA regulates nursing and midwifery careers through the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. AHPRA works closely with NMBA to regulate nursing registrations.

Certification ideals detail requirements to be met by education benefactors when:

Seeking program accreditation.

Making program changes.

Respond to program monitoring.

Registered Training Organizations without the Diploma of Nursing qualification on choice should apply to ANMAC for accreditation of the program prior to applying to ASQA.

Communication notifying all Registered Training Organizations about ANMAC and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) requiring:

All Diploma of Nursing programs must be accredited and approved for graduates of the program to be eligible for registration under the approved qualification pathway.

All students of accredited and approved programs must be registered with the NMBA prior to undertaking any clinical training, through notification to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

AHPRA preserves a publicly reachable and searchable national register of nurses and midwives registered with the NMBA. The register also identifies:

Any conditions or restrictions on professional practice

Nurses who are endorsed as a nurse practitioner.

To become a registered nurse in Australia, one must follow a Bachelor of Nursing degree to gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and understanding. This study program also provides education on providing high-quality nursing care in a variety of settings and to become critical, ethical, and inspired professionals. Moreover, your skills in assessment and clinical decision-making, professional communication, cultural and diversity awareness, research, and use of modern technology will be harnessed. In order to follow this degree program, you must meet the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s (NMBA) English language skills registration standard.

Once you are a registered nurse or a registered nurse with a specialty you might aim high in your career and might want to follow postgraduate studies, so, to become a nurse practitioner or any other higher position in the system where you will take decisions regarding the future of nursing Australia.

Accreditation bodies in Australia – Summary

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

AHPRA works with 15 national boards, including the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, to help protect the public by regulating Australia's registered health practitioners.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)

The NMBA functions as an self-regulating authority and its roles include:

Overseeing practitioner registration developing professional standards, codes and guidelines

Handling notifications and complaints in relation to the profession assessing overseas-trained practitioners who wish to practice in Australia approving accreditation standards and courses of study.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)

The NMBA appointed ANMAC to be the independent accrediting authority for nursing and midwifery education. ANMAC is also the skills assessing authority for nurses and midwives seeking to migrate under the Australian Government’s General Skilled Migration program.

If you fall into the category of Internationally Qualified Nurses and Midwives (IQNMs), you must apply for registration of NMBA, and will be assessed against the NMBA registration standards. IQNMs’ qualifications are assessed against the three qualification criteria of the assessment model.

Registration standards define the requirements that applicants must meet to be considered fit to practice as nurses and midwives.

Qualification criteria define the minimum acceptable education and training that IQNMs must have completed.

Quality assurance and accreditation

When you have an economically impactive industry that is still booming, there is no wonder that the professionals attached to the industry have to maintain a certain value and standard as it is in return benefiting the industry’s growth. Therefore, in Australia, it seems to have a difficult path for IQNMs to become a part of the nursing wing due to the strict accreditation and quality assurance process.

Medfuture, which is recruiting and placing nurses throughout Australia and New Zealand, are concerned about the changing factors in the industry. We at Medfuture try our best to be knowledgeable about the industry and try to adapt to the various diverging points in the industry and move ahead in a consistent way. We are sharing this information with you to get an idea of the future of Australian nursing practice and to get ready for its outcomes. Also, Medfuture is always with you to clarify any concerns regarding the emerging healthcare sector in Australia.