Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - First-time renewing
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First-time renewing

Response to COVID-19

The NMBA and Ahpra are working with government, health services and others to support the registered health workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your registration fees go directly to regulating for safety in nursing and midwifery and keeping the public safe.

Visit the Ahpra website for the latest COVID-19 updates  or the NMBA website for COVID-19 guidance for nurses and midwives.

How do I renew my registration?

  1. Use the online services portal to renew your registration and pay the required fee.
  2. If you have any questions, visit the Registration renewal page on the Ahpra website.
  3. You (and your employer) can check the status of your registration at any time on the online register of practitioners.

What if I got my registration less than a year ago?

Registration for nurses and midwives is renewed annually by 31 May, regardless of how long you were registered for during the previous 12 months.

If you are a graduate who registered within two months prior to the 31 May annual renewal date you are registered to practise until 31 May of the following year. Check the national register if you are not sure when your registration is due for renewal.

How do I answer the renewal questions?

What are the CPD requirements for this renewal?

The NMBA is aware that there are many CPD activities that are COVID-safe options and many CPD programs and providers have now adapted their programs to be COVID-safe. We encourage you to continue to do CPD that is relevant to your scope of practice and your current work environment. Nurses and midwives are reminded that the following learning opportunities may also contribute to CPD hours:

  • COVID-19 in-services
  • Reading and reflecting on COVID-19 journal articles
  • COVID-19 infection control training - online training modules (including Australian Government Department of Health)

The NMBA believes that most nurses and midwives will be meeting their CPD requirements through new learning related to COVID-19. However, we understand they may not have kept their usual CPD records and reflections.

You must answer all renewal questions honestly and accurately. If you believe you have met the CPD requirements, you can declare this at renewal even if you haven’t kept relevant records. The NMBA will not be auditing nurses and midwives against the CPD registration standard this year, although we may still take action against a nurse or midwife who makes false declarations at renewal.

I have a health issue – do I need to declare it?

You only need to declare an impairment – which means a condition which is likely to detrimentally affect your practice. Most health issues are not impairments.

You do not need to declare well-managed health conditions that don’t affect your practice. For example, you don’t need to tell us about needing prescription glasses or taking time off work for a short-term illness or injury.

If you do have an impairment that either affects or you think is likely to detrimentally affect your ability to practise, you must tell us about it and about what you’re doing to manage it. You should provide documents outlining your current diagnosis and/or treatment plan and a statement from your treating health practitioner confirming your current fitness to practise.

Do I have to hold private indemnity insurance (PII) if I’m not working?

When you renew your general registration, you are asked to declare if you have met the PII registration standard in the previous registration period and will do so for this registration period.

You are not required to hold PII when you are not practising. If you have had periods of not holding PII when you were not practising, you can still meet the standard. Remember, practice means any role, whether remunerated or not, in which the individual uses their skills and knowledge as a health practitioner in their profession.

Please see the Professional indemnity insurance arrangements section of the NMBA website for further information.

Do I have to meet recency of practice requirements?

If you are a recent graduate, you do not have to meet the Recency of practice registration standard. Recent graduate means a person applying for registration for the first time whose qualification for registration was awarded not more than two years prior to the date of their application.

What kind of changes to my criminal history do I need to declare?

Your criminal history includes any:

  • charge against you for an offence
  • conviction you have received
  • guilty plea you have entered, or
  • time a court has found you guilty, whether or not you were convicted.

If you declare a change to your criminal history, you will need to provide a written statement and correctly certified photo ID. The registration renewal form will give you more information on what to include.

 
 
Page reviewed 29/03/2022