Who is ANMAC? What are ANMAC accreditation standards?

Transcription

1 ANMAC Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified - Registered Nurses Accreditation Standards (2014) and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014) Frequently Asked Questions Who is ANMAC? The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) is the independent accrediting authority for the nursing and midwifery professions under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. ANMAC commenced operations on 1 July Our organisation is accountable to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) for assuring the Australian community that graduates of accredited programs can practise and care for people in a safe and competent manner. The nursing and midwifery professions inform our work and our Board includes directors from a wide range of stakeholder organisations, enabling us to incorporate expert and community views into our decision making. What are ANMAC accreditation standards? Accreditation focuses on the capacity of education providers and on the quality of educational programs they offer. ANMAC is responsible for maintaining the currency and integrity of accreditation standards for nursing and midwifery programs leading to registration and endorsement in Australia. We use the standards to assess programs to ensure the graduate achieves quality learning outcomes. Developing or reviewing accreditation standards for entry to practice and re-entry to practice programs is part of a broader process of assuring the community that, having completed an accredited program, practitioners have achieved outcomes agreed to by the profession and are able to practise safely and in a manner equipped with the necessary foundation knowledge, professional motivations and essential skills. Why have the Accreditation Standards for Entry Programs for - Registered Nurse been revised? ANMAC regularly reviews and improves accreditation standards used to assess programs to ensure their continued relevance and effectiveness in contemporary education and health care environments. Standards (2014) and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014) replace the Standards and Criteria for the Accreditation of Nursing and Midwifery Courses: Re-Entry to the Register Standards - Registered Nurses (2010) published by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC). ANMAC adopted these standards when the 1 of 5

2 National Accreditation and Regulation Scheme 1 commenced in The newly revised accreditation standards were developed through an extensive review process guided by an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) and informed by a literature review, stakeholder feedback and advice sought via public consultation. To apply to become a registered nurse in Australia, individuals must first complete a program accredited by ANMAC and approved by the NMBA. Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses and Re-entry to the Register Registered Nurse programs developed by education providers must address these accreditation standards to ensure graduates possess the necessary foundation knowledge and essential skills to practise safely in Australia. The NMBA approved the ANMAC Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses Accreditation Standards (2014) and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014) on 19 December The revised standards were released by ANMAC on 9 February 2014 following completion of the publication process. What are the differences between the 2010 and 2014 Accreditation Standards for Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse? Standards (2014) and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014) introduce new standard titles, new concepts and changes in terminology and definitions. The structure of the newly revised accreditation standards is described in Table 1. Table 1: Comparison of 2010 and 2014 standard structure Standard number 2010 ANMC standard structure 2014 ANMAC standard structure Standard 1 Governance Governance Standard 2 Academic staffing Curriculum conceptual framework Standard 3 Students Program development and structure Standard 4 Course length and structure Program content Standard 5 Curriculum content Student assessment Standard 6 Approaches to teaching and learning Students Standard 7 Student assessment Resources Standard 8 Professional experience Management of workplace experience Standard 9 Research Quality improvement and risk management 1 AHPRA (2009). Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009, p. 25. Viewed at: Publications/Legislation.aspx on 6 November of 5

3 Education providers should be aware of significant areas of change in Standard 1: Governance. Education providers must now demonstrate evidence of current registration with one of the following: a. TEQSA as an Australian university or other higher education provider offering an entry to practice registered nurse program b. TEQSA as an Australian university or other higher education provider not offering an entry to practice registered nurse program that has a formal agreement in place with an Australian university or higher education provider with TEQSA registration c. ASQA as an Australian registered training organisation that has a formal governance arrangement in place with an Australian university or higher education provider, which has current registration with TEQSA and offers an entry to practice registered nurse program. Did ANMAC undertake a consultation process during the revision of these accreditation standards? In developing an accreditation standard for a health profession, the law governing the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme requires accreditation authorities to undertake wideranging consultation on the content of accreditation standards. The revision of the Accreditation Standards for Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse was governed by the EAG representing the education sector, nursing profession, consumers and government. The group actively participated in the revision of the accreditation standards and the running of a facilitated stakeholder engagement consultation process that spanned The process included facilitated workshops with key stakeholders such as the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery (Australia & New Zealand), the Australian College of Nursing, the Council of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, the education sector, industry and consumers. Consultation papers and drafts of the Accreditation Standards for Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse were advertised on the ANMAC website and feedback was collected via written submission, online surveys and a series of consultation forums. Did ANMAC seek advice from the Office of Best Practice Regulation during the revision of these accreditation standards? All accreditation standards developed by ANMAC must now be submitted to the Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR) for review prior to approval by the NMBA. The OBPR is a division within the Australian Government s Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet but has independence from the Department in assessing and reporting on compliance with the best practice regulation requirements. The OBPR assesses whether Regulation Impact Statements are required In preparing the Accreditation Standards for Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse, ANMAC has consulted with the OBPR and provided feedback to the NMBA on the potential regulatory impacts (including advice on the assessment by the OBPR) provided in the consultation process and identified in developing the revised accreditation standards. The NMBA approved the ANMAC Entry 3 of 5

4 Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses Accreditation Standards (2014) and Re- Entry to the Register -Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014) on 19 December When do the ANMAC Accreditation Standards for Entry Programs for - Registered Nurse come into effect? Standards (2014) and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014) are effective from 19 December This is the date the accreditation standards were approved by the NMBA. The revised standards were released by ANMAC on 9 February 2014 following completion of the publication process. Why has the name of the Standards changed? Historically, Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses have been referred to as bridging programs or Initial Registration of Overseas Nurses (IRON) programs. The standards have been renamed to clearly indicate that there are now separate Accreditation Standards for Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified (EPIQ) Registered Nurses and Reentry to the Register - Registered Nurse programs. The name of the program of study does not need to be the same name of the standards. Are the Standards and Criteria for the Accreditation of Nursing and Midwifery Courses: Re-Entry to the Register Standards Registered Nurse (2010) still valid? Previously, Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses and Re-entry to the Register - Registered Nurse programs were both accredited against the ANMC Standards and Criteria for the Accreditation of Nursing and Midwifery Courses: Re-Entry to the Register Standards - Registered Nurses (2010) published by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC). The 2010 ANMC Standards and Criteria for the Accreditation of Nursing and Midwifery Courses: Re-Entry to the Register Standards - Registered Nurses will continue to be used to monitor programs that were accredited against this version of the standards. With the release of the ANMAC Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses Accreditation Standards (2014) and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014) submission of applications for accreditation of programs based on the ANMC Standards and Criteria for the Accreditation of Nursing and Midwifery Courses: Re-Entry to the Register Standards Registered Nurses (2010) will no longer be accepted by ANMAC. I am an education provider with an accredited program. What does the release of the ANMAC Accreditation Standards for Entry Programs for - Registered Nurse mean for my organisation? Education providers who have a currently accredited Entry Program for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses or a Re-Entry to the Register- Registered Nurse program who are not seeking to change their program following the release of the revised accreditation standards do not need to take any action. 4 of 5

5 All future applications for the accreditation of Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses or a Re-Entry to the Register- Registered Nurse program will need to address either the revised ANMAC Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014) or the Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014). How do the 2014 Accreditation Standards affect education providers planning to run an Entry Program for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses or Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse program in the future? From 9 February 2014, all education providers submitting an Entry Program for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses or Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse program to ANMAC for accreditation will need to address the new Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified - Registered Nurses Accreditation Standards (2014) and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014). Information on the requirements for this submission are contained in the Application Pack for Entry to Practice for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurse and Application Pack for Re-Entry to the Register Registered Nurse. How do the 2014 standards affect students currently enrolled in an Entry Program for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses or Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse program? Students are advised to contact their education provider to discuss whether the new accreditation standards will affect their program. Where can I find further information about the ANMAC Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses Accreditation Standards (2014) and Re-Entry to the Register- Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014)? Further information on the ANMAC Entry Programs for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses Accreditation Standards (2014) and Re-Entry to the Register - Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2014) is available on the ANMAC website. Education providers should direct all questions to the Executive Director, Accreditation and Assessment Services at ANMAC on telephone or donna.mowbray@anmac.org.au ANMAC Strategy Implementation and Communications Group 9 February of 5