Revised English language skills registration standard takes effect from 1 July

21 May 2015

A revised English language skills registration standard takes effect from 1 July 2015 for all nurses and midwives.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) today published the contents of a revised English language skills registration standard for all registered nurses and midwives. The NMBA also published supporting materials to help registrants understand the new requirements and prepare for them taking effect from 1 July 2015.

Whenever possible, the NMBA seeks to work together with other National Boards regulating health practitioners to develop common or similar standards across professions.

The NMBA English language skills registration standard shares many elements with the standards for other professions, as well as information that is specific to nursing and midwifery.

The revised standard introduces additional pathways for applicants to demonstrate evidence of their English language skills.

The standard was developed after a review of the existing standard, which included a public consultation. The consultation report provides a summary of responses, rationale for any changes and sets out the proposed way forward, including areas where further work is planned.

The revised standard will apply to all applicants for initial registration, regardless of whether they qualified in Australia or overseas.

Additional resources about the standards taking effect from 1 July 2015

• Letter from Ministers approving the revised standards 
• Pathways diagram for nurses and midwives and evidence guide: Explains the requirements for each pathway. 
• FAQ: Information for nurses and midwives about the standard.

For more information

• Lodge an online enquiry form 
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 9275 9009 (overseas callers) 
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200