Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives - Changes to the AHPRA Registration Requirements

Are you a nurse interested in applying for registration to get a license to work in Australia?

The Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has just announced new changes to the Nursing registration requirements;

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA) reports that students are able to sit an IELTS examination twice within a 6 month period for the intention of meeting IELTS 7.0 in all sub-bands. For further information review the English Language Skills Registration Standard document available to be downloaded as a PDF or Word Document. At the above linked article it states; If a student is applying for registration as a registered nurse and/or a registered midwife, they must provide evidence of the completion of five (5) years*(full-time equivalent) of education taught and assessed in English, in any of the recognised countries. OR Achieve a successful test score result. If the student is providing an IELTS test score result, the results need to meet the requirements for test results specified in this standard. That is, the IELTS (academic module) with a minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking). APHRA will only accept test results: i. from one test sitting, or ii. a maximum of two test sittings in a six month period only if:

• the student achieves a minimum score of 7 in each component across the two sittings, and
• the student achieves a minimum overall score of 7 in each sitting, and
• no score in any component of the test is below 6.5

Please also note that revised registration standards come into effect on 1 March 2019.

Details can be viewed by accessing the link: Nursing and Midwifery Board - News

Does this apply to me? 

                                              

If you are submitting an application for registration as a registered nurse, enrolled nurse or midwife, the following will apply:

• If you submit your application for registration before 1 March 2019 you will be required to meet the NMBA English language skills registration standard (2015).
• If you enrolled in an NMBA-approved program of study before 1 March 2019 and you complete your NMBA approved program of study and are applying for initial registration between 1 March 2019 and 1 March 2020 you will be required to meet the requirement of the policy for the transitional arrangements for the NMBA English language skills registration standard (2019).
• All other applications for registration submitted on or after 1 March 2019 will be required to meet the revised NMBA English language skills registration standard (2019).