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Welcome to the July edition of the Nursing and Midwifery Board newsletter. In this edition we share some important announcements for the NBMA and the National Scheme. The NMBA is moving from state and territory-based boards to a completely national committee structure for regulatory matters. While this will not affect your day-to-day work as nurses and midwives, this change is part of making sure your Board can continue to meet its commitment to public safety through contemporary governance, national consistency, and operational efficiency.
July marks NAIDOC Week. On behalf of the Board, I want to acknowledge all the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives who are performing vital roles throughout our healthcare system.
The 2026 registration renewal period is now closed. This year, more than 552,000 nurses and midwives renewed their registration and commitment to serve the community. For those nurses and midwives who are retiring or leaving the profession, your name will be taken off the Register of practitioners, and this will be the last newsletter you receive. On behalf of the NMBA, thank you for your service. We wish you every success with your future endeavours.
Warm regards
Adjunct Professor Veronica Casey AM Chair, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
From September this year, the NMBA’s regulatory governance model will transition from state and territory-based boards to a completely national committee structure for regulatory matters. Two new national committees will be established to join the existing national committees supporting regulatory functions.
The new national committees will continue to work in partnership with Ahpra to make notification (complaint) and registration decisions about individual nurses, midwives and students, based on national policies and standards set by the NMBA.
This transition aligns with the recommendations of the Independent Review of Complexity in the National Scheme (the Dawson review) and reflects the NMBA’s commitment to protect the public through contemporary governance, national consistency, and operational efficiency.
State and Territory Board members will continue in their decision-making roles for the remainder of their appointed terms and from the transition date, will move into the new national committee structure. This will ensure continuity of expertise, jurisdictional knowledge, and regulatory capability.
Future vacancies will be filled via an open recruitment process, and appointments will be made by the National Board. We will advertise future vacancies for committee members on our website.
On Monday 29 June, the NMBA hosted a webinar for registered nurses to learn more about the new Endorsement for scheduled medicines - designated RN prescriber and designated registered nurse prescribing. More than 900 people attended the webinar, which provided an overview of the prescribing model, the pathway from education and endorsement to practice, and an update on implementation in Australia.
A recording of the webinar will be available until 30 September. You can also read the answers to the questions most frequently asked by attendees in the open forum following the presentations.
Watch the recording and read the FAQs on the website.
Ahpra, National Boards and Accreditation Authorities are working together to build the health workforce’s capability to recognise and respond to family, domestic and sexual violence (FDSV). This shared commitment is outlined in a joint statement published in June.
Around one in five women who experience violence from a current or former partner turn to a general practitioner or other health professional for advice or support.
Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner said this makes health practitioners uniquely positioned to support victim-survivors and help address family violence.
‘Health practitioners are often the first – and sometimes the only – trusted professionals that victim-survivors can turn to for help,’ Mr Untersteiner said.
‘Ensuring practitioners have the skills to recognise and respond to family, domestic and sexual violence safely and sensitively can make a real difference in the lives of victim-survivors.’
The announcement forms part of Ahpra and the National Boards’ significant program of work to respond to FDSV and use existing regulatory frameworks to ensure all health practitioners understand their role in addressing family, domestic and sexual violence.
The National Boards are reviewing key regulatory levers to strengthen how health practitioners recognise and respond to family, domestic and sexual violence. This includes supporting practitioners by providing practical guidance on their professional obligations to recognise and respond to family violence sensitively and safely.
The three areas of regulation in focus are:
Read the full statement.
The National Boards’ revised Criminal history registration standard (the standard) is now in effect.
The standard guides the Boards as they assess how a person’s criminal history is relevant to their suitability for registration as a health practitioner.
Along with the revised standard, Ahpra and National Boards have published a series of information guides for applicants, students, practitioners and the public to help explain the revised standard.
An advance copy of the revised standard was published in May to give practitioners and registration applicants an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the changes before they came into effect.
Practitioners, students and applicants are encouraged to visit the Criminal history registration standard webpage to read the standard and access supporting resources.
Ahpra's CEO Justin Untersteiner delivered a keynote speech in July at the Medical Board of Australia's national conference held in Brisbane. Reflecting on his 18 months in the role, Justin stated there has been a clear focus on listening, learning, and, crucially, acting.
‘We’ve heard consistent feedback from governments, government ministers, practitioners, and the community about what they expect from Ahpra, the National Scheme and National Boards,’ Justin said.
‘That feedback has been both affirming and challenging. Affirming in that our core purpose to protect the public remains clear. Challenging in that expectations of how we do that are evolving rapidly.’
Over this period, Ahpra has begun to embrace what it means to be a contemporary regulator in a complex and changing health system. One that is grounded in strong stewardship and governance, genuine partnerships across governments, professions and communities; an approach that matures our use of data and insights to inform decision making and elevates the voices of the communities we are designed to serve.
It requires an approach that proactively builds an empowered, capable workforce that continues to learn and can respond, where necessary, to the seismic social changes unfolding around us. Ahpra’s National Scheme Strategy 2031 is the structured framework guiding our approach. It is underpinned by three core strategic themes - effective harm prevention, a culturally safe healthcare system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and a sustainable health workforce.
To find out how Ahpra will move beyond intent into sustained, practical action, read the full speech.
NAIDOC week, which ran from 5 to 12 July, was an opportunity for the nation to celebrate the strength, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, from generations past and into the future.
This year's theme, 50 Years of Deadly, celebrates five decades of recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence, leadership and community.
The NMBA takes this opportunity to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have thrived for more than 65,000 years with the support of community members in health, healing and wellbeing roles.
Today, there are more than 8320 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives on the register. If you want to read stories about the trailblazing work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives – you can read CATSINaM’s publication In Our Own Right.
All nurses and midwives have an obligation to practice in a culturally safe way, free from racism – in NAIDOC week and every week. Whether you're attending local NAIDOC events, having conversations with colleagues, or spending time learning more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, every step helps build greater understanding and contributes to a more culturally safe health system.
AusAlert is a new national warning system that sends emergency messages to compatible mobile devices. The system is being tested this July before its launch in October.
At 2pm AEST on Monday 27 July, a test alert will be sent to every mobile device in Australia, including some smart watches and tablets. Devices will vibrate and play a siren-like warning sound for about 10 seconds and display an AusAlert message.
This test may increase the risk for people experiencing family and domestic violence, as devices hidden for safety reasons will still receive AusAlerts – even if they are on ‘silent’ or ‘do not disturb’. To keep devices hidden and stop them from receiving alerts, keep them turned off or in aeroplane mode.
Nurses and midwives are trusted and respected members of the community, putting you in a unique position to confidentially share this information with anyone whose safety you may be concerned about.
Visit AusAlert for information about Australia’s national warning system.
If you didn’t renew your registration before 1 July and you want to keep practising, you must make a new application for registration. In some cases, you can use the fast-track application for this process. The fast-track process is only available until 31 July 2026.
Ahpra’s Practitioner Information Exchange (PIE) is available to organisations that directly employ health practitioners, such as public and private hospitals, aged care services and medical and allied health services. It enables employers to check the details and registration status of the health practitioners they employ, making sure they are appropriately qualified and registered.
Learn more about data usage agreements and access to PIE.
