Public consultation opens for advanced practice definition

08 Mar 2019

Today the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) opened public consultation on proposed changes to its definitions relating to advanced practice. Feedback is invited to the questions in the consultation paper by close of business Friday 19 April 2019.

The NMBA currently has two definitions related to advanced practice: advanced nursing practice and advanced practice nurse. These definitions are set out within the NMBA Nurse practitioner standards for practice and the Registration standard: Endorsement as a nurse practitioner. The definitions are also found in the Nurse practitioner accreditation standards.

The NMBA is proposing the following changes to the current definitions:

1. The current definition of advanced nursing practice will be replaced by the proposed definition of advanced practice for use by the NMBA and the nursing profession more broadly, and
2. The current definition of advanced practice nurse which describes the ongoing requirements of a nurse practitioner will be replaced by a definition of a nurse practitioner.

The focus of this consultation is the proposed definition of advanced practice, as it impacts the broader nursing profession. The NMBA will consider the feedback received in the public consultation phase when finalising the definition.

To have your say, please read the consultation document and respond to the feedback questions on the Consultations section of the NMBA website. The consultation closes on Friday 19 April 2019.