Fact sheet: Maternal, child and family health nurses and midwives in Australia. A regulatory perspective.

In response to feedback provided by key stakeholders, the NMBA has rescinded the Fact Sheet maternal, child and family health nurses and midwives in Australia a regulatory perspective.

Rescinding the Fact Sheet allows the NMBA to reconsider its response until a decision is made following targeted consultation.

The NMBA‘s approved registration standards, codes, guidelines, and standards for practice together form the Professional Practice Framework (PPF). The PPF determines the requirements and expectations which guide the professional practice of nurses and midwives in Australia.

The NMBA recognises that nurses and midwives obtain and develop qualifications and expertise through the course of their careers. It is expected that nurses and midwives are educated and competent in their specific area of practice and hold the skills required to provide safe, person-centred, and evidence-based care.

Influences on an individual’s scope of practice which may enable or limit practice include:

• level of education and training
• competence and experience
• registration requirements
• legislation and regulations
• clinical need
• recency of practice
• professional indemnity, and
• workplace environment, requirements and capacity

The NMBA has fact sheets on the Scope of practice and capabilities of nurses and Scope of practice and capabilities of midwives to guide nurses and midwives in their practice. They also guide employers, private and public health services, and other health practitioners, on the varying roles and scope of practice of nurse and midwives.

The Decision Making Framework supports nurses and midwives to make decisions in practice, particularly about scope of practice.