Renewing nurses and midwives reminded to read new standards

News

03 Apr 2017

Nurses and midwives due to renew their registration soon are reminded that they must meet the obligations of new registration standards which took effect last year.

Online renewal is now open for more than 370,000 nurses and midwives who are due to renew their general or non-practising registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (the NMBA) by 31 May. Last year, 98.1 per cent of nurses and midwives renewed their registration online.

New registration requirements in effect

NMBA Chair, Associate Professor Lynette Cusack RN, reminded nurses and midwives to carefully read the requirements for renewal of registration.

‘Revised registration standards and standards of practice for nurses and midwives took effect on 1 June 2016 and 1 January 2017 respectively.

‘The NMBA visited workplaces in every state and territory in 2016 to explain the changes in person, but if you missed out on attending a session we’ve made a vodcast of the presentation which you can watch via the news item,’ Associate Professor Cusack said.

Detailed information regarding the changes to the standards (and supporting guidelines) can be found in the following nursing and midwifery news items.

Extra step when renewing this year

Renewal for nurses and midwives will include an extra step this year. When completing your renewal, you will be asked to check that your qualification(s) and the date you were first registered in Australia are recorded correctly on the online national register of practitioners.

‘We are including this as part of online renewal to make it easy for you to confirm and update these details if required,’ Associate Professor Cusack said.

‘By checking this information you will be helping us to maintain the integrity of the national register, which helps to protect the public.’

The national register keeps the public safe in the knowledge that its health practitioners are registered and qualified. Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory, the national register should include details of any qualification relied on by you to obtain registration.

‘Nursing and midwifery qualifications that do not lead to registration or endorsement are not regulated by the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme and therefore won’t appear on the register,’ Associate Professor Cusack said.

‘If you are unsure of the date when you were first registered in Australia select “unknown” and the state or territory in which you were first registered.’ For further information about the ‘Register detail check’ please refer to the NMBA website.

How to renew registration

Registered and enrolled nurses, midwives and nurse practitioners should look out for an email this week from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) reminding them to renew registration. The email is the first in a series of reminders being sent by AHPRA on behalf of the NMBA.

‘The renewal reminder emails are a one-stop shop for access to online renewal and to resources explaining the renewal process or how to reset your password,’ Associate Professor Cusack said.

‘Online renewal is the quickest and easiest way to renew your registration and is explained in our short video for nurses and midwives.’

If you do not receive a reminder email please check your contact details held by AHPRA are up to date. Go to ‘login’ at the top of the AHPRA or NMBA website homepages, enter your User ID and password to access the secure portal and choose to update your contact details.

If you do not renew your registration by 31 May, or within the following one-month late period, your registration will lapse. Your name will be removed from the national Register of Nurses and Midwives and you will not be able to practise without making a new application for registration.

Useful information

The following pages on the NMBA website contain useful information for nurses and midwives; and their employers:

For more information

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