Update on outcomes based assessment for internationally qualified nurses and midwives

10 May 2017

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) today provided an update on the development of an outcomes based assessment for internationally qualified nurses and midwives.

One of the key roles of the NMBA is to protect the public by ensuring that nurses and midwives are suitably trained and competent to practise. Under the National Law¹, the NMBA oversees the assessment of the knowledge and clinical skills of overseas trained nurses and midwives, to determine their suitability for registration in Australia.

In 2014, the NMBA implemented an interim model of assessment for internationally qualified nurses and midwives, to support a nationally consistent approach while further work was undertaken to research outcomes based assessment models.

The NMBA commissioned Health Management Planning Solutions to undertake a review of literature on competency based assessment for the Australian context and the requirements for the establishment of outcomes based assessment for internationally qualified nurses and midwives.

The key recommendations from the report, which have been supported by the NMBA, were:

• A two part outcomes based assessment process should be established which includes a cognitive and a behavioural component.
• The cognitive component should be a computerised innovative item-type multiple choice question examination and the behavioural component should be an objective structured clinical examination.
• The outcomes based assessment process should be ‘stepped’ so that the candidate must pass the cognitive assessment before attempting the behavioural assessment.
• The outcomes based assessment should include an orientation process to ensure orientation to the Australian healthcare context and culture.

The current interim model of assessment will remain in place while the outcomes based assessment model and processes are developed. A request for tender will be released soon for the development of an objective structured clinical examination for overseas trained nurses. Requests for tender can be viewed on the NMBA website.

¹The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory.