Development of the Nurse Practitioner Standards for Practice Australia

Abstract

This article describes the context and development of the new Nurse Practitioner Standards for Practice in Australia, which went into effect in January 2014. The researchers used a mixed-methods design to engage a broad range of stakeholders who brought both political and practice knowledge to the development of the new standards. Methods included interviews, focus groups, surveys, and work-based observation of nurse practitioner practice. Stakeholders varied in terms of their need for detail in the standards. Nonetheless, they invariably agreed that the standards should be clinically focussed attributes. The pillars common in many advanced practice nursing standards, such as practice, research, education, and leadership, were combined and expressed in a new and unique clinical attribute.

Developing and sustaining specialist and advanced practice roles in nursing and midwifery: A discourse on enablers and barriers

“…In Australia, for example, expanded practice is not synonymous with either advanced nursing practice or advanced practice nursing, but may refer to specific situations in which experienced nurses are authorised to practice beyond the RN scope of practice in a specific context (Stasa, Cashin, Buckley, & Donoghue, 2014). In that country, definitional clarity was an essential prerequisite before nurse practitioner (NP) practice standards could operate effectively (Cashin et al, 2015).…”

“…Conceptualised as involving key activities related to research, education, practice, system support and leadership (Cashin et al, 2015), the clinical nurse consultant (CNC) role is analogous to the advanced practice role and the practice nursing role. However, the CNC role has been dogged by conceptual confusion due to lack of clarity over role function (Giles, Parker, & Mitchell, 2014).…”

The universal, collaborative and dynamic model of specialist and advanced nursing and midwifery practice: A way forward?

“…() reported on the elements that either supported or restricted the NP's scope of practice: the regulatory environment as reflected in the requirement to have physician supervision in nurse prescribing, and physician collaboration and support, whereas Cashin et al. () referred to nurse practitioners as educators meaning role models and mentors to nurses and health professionals.…”

“…Cashin et al. () found that nurse practitioners in Australia, rather than moving further in the same direction of specialisation, become more generalist.…”

Workforce characteristics of privately practicing nurse practitioners in Australia

“…The access of the NP MBS item numbers in the NT is extremely low compared to the other States/Territories and it is likely that very few NPs are working there in private practice (Australian Government, Department of Human Services, ). A recent study identified the percentage of all NPs per State/Territory in Australia as follows: NSW (26%), Queensland (25.5%), Western Australia (17.7%), Victoria (12.9%), South Australia (9.2%), Australia Capital Territory (3.9%), and NT (1.3%; Cashin et al., ). While the number of PPNPs in Australia remains unknown, with reference to Table , the participants in this study are similarly representative of NPs in each State/Territory of Australia, except the NT.…”