Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Guidelines: For Midwives applying for endorsement for scheduled medicines
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Guidelines: For Midwives applying for endorsement for scheduled medicines

Download a PDF copy of the Guidelines: For midwives applying for endorsement for scheduled medicines (57.4 KB,PDF)

Introduction

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) undertakes functions as set by the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law). The NMBA regulates the practice of nursing and midwifery in Australia, and one of its key roles is to protect the public. The NMBA does this by developing registration standards, professional codes, guidelines and standards for practice which together establish the requirements for the professional and safe practice of nurses and midwives in Australia.

This guide supplements the Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives by providing further information about the requirements for midwives applying for an endorsement.

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Who does this guide apply to?

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This guide applies to midwives and midwives with a notation and/or endorsement who are applying for, or maintaining an endorsement for scheduled medicines.

Midwives applying for an endorsement for scheduled medicines

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Midwives with an endorsement for scheduled medicines are regulated by the NMBA under section 94 of the National Law. The Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives states that a midwife seeking endorsement must be able to demonstrate all of the following:

  1. Current general registration as a midwife in Australia with no conditions or undertakings relating to unsatisfactory professional performance or unprofessional conduct.

  2. Registration as a midwife that is the equivalent of three years’ full-time clinical practice (5,000 hours) in the past six years that is either:
    • across the continuum of care, or
    • in a specified context of practice*

    from the date when the complete application seeking endorsement for scheduled medicines is received by the NMBA

  3. Successful completion of:
    • an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement for scheduled medicines, or
    • a program that is substantially equivalent to an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement for scheduled medicines as determined by the NMBA.

    *for the purpose of this registration standard, the NMBA recognises three contexts of practice: antenatal or post natal or ante and post natal.

 Table 1: Evidence model for midwives applying for an endorsement for scheduled medicines

Requirement Evidence
Current general registration as a midwife in Australia with no conditions or undertakings on registration relating to unsatisfactory professional performance or unprofessional conduct. An applicant who is currently registered with the NMBA as a midwife and whose registration does not have any conditions or undertakings imposed on their registration, in relation to unsatisfactory professional performance or unprofessional conduct has satisfied this requirement.

Evidence would be a current registration certificate as a midwife with no conditions or undertakings on the registration relating to unsatisfactory professional performance or unprofessional conduct issued by the NMBA.
Registration as a midwife that is the equivalent of three years’ full-time clinical practice (5,000 hours) in the past six years that is either:
  • across the continuum of care, or
  • in a specified context of practice
Nurses applying for endorsement need to submit:
  • Curriculum vitae (CV) detailing:
    • evidence of employment, clearly noting title and description of all midwifery practice with dates (dd/mm/yyyy) and hours per week
    • details of education and professional activities

You must declare that the ‘the CV is true and correct as at (insert date)’. This declaration must be signed and dated. The NMBA will only accept the original signed CV For guidance on CV format refer to the AHPRA guidelines Standard format for curriculum vitae.

Note: It is not compulsory to comply with these CV guidelines.

  • Certified copy of statement(s) of service which support the applicant’s 5,000 hours of advanced midwifery practice within the past six years.
    The statement(s) of service must:
    • be on your employer’s letterhead
    • be dated and signed by the Director of Midwifery or equivalent. Self-employed midwives may provide a statutory declaration as their proof of service
    • detail the title of your advanced midwifery practice, dates of employment, and hours, and
    • detail any periods of extended leave (e.g. long service leave or extended sick leave).
Evidence of context of practice

Evidence of practice in your specified context of practice in the form of an original or certified letter from your employer/s.

This letter/s needs to be on:
  • Official letterhead ·
  • Provide details supporting your experience in your specified context of practice* within the past six years (antenatal, postnatal, antenatal & postnatal or midwifery practice across the continuum)
Privately practising midwives are required to provide this information within a statutory declaration.

* In the event any of the positions you have held have been across various areas of practice you are asked to gain a letter (certified) from this employer which clearly states what percentage of your practice relates to each practice area. e.g. antenatal, postnatal etc
Successful completion of:
  • an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement for scheduled medicines, or

  • a program that is substantially equivalent to an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement for scheduled medicines determined by the NMBA
The NMBA has two pathways that fulfil the education requirements for endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives.

Pathway 1 Evidence of successful completion of an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement for scheduled medicines .

Pathway 2 Evidence of successful completion of a program that is substantially equivalent to an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement for scheduled medicines as determined by the NMBA.

Applicants must submit a certified copy of a post graduate qualification relevant to the endorsement including a transcript that lists all subjects and a results key

Submit relevant information

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You are required to submit one copy of your portfolio (complete with certified copies). Please ensure you keep an original copy of your portfolio for your own record.

Please do not include original documents in your application as it is retained by the Board.

All official documents such as certificates, transcripts and statement of service (including those that support claims in the curriculum vitae), letters from employers must be certified copies.

Further information regarding the certifying of documents is available on the AHPRA website

Applicants are required to complete the AESM-40 Application for endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives form, which is located on the NMBA website, and attach this to their application.

You may submit your application form and portfolio documents in person to the AHPRA office in your state or by mail to GPO Box 9958 in your capital city.

Requirements for ongoing endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives

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Ongoing endorsement is contingent upon the midwife meeting the NMBA’s requirements for renewal of registration annually. Under section 109 of the National Law, midwives are required to make an annual declaration that they have met the professional indemnity insurance and recency of practice requirements and completed the required continuing professional development.

Midwives with an endorsement for scheduled medicines need to demonstrate recency of practice at the level to retain their endorsement.

Privately practising midwives are required to demonstrate compliance with the NMBA’s Safety and quality guidelines for privately practising midwives.

For more information

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Page reviewed 8/08/2019
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