anmc accreditation standards - nurse practitioner
DESCRIPTION
qualifications and requirements of ANMC standardsTRANSCRIPT
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
1/40
Standards and Criteria for the Accreditation of Nursing
and Midwifery Courses Leading to Registration,
Enrolment, Endorsement and Authorisation in Australia
with Evidence Guide
February 2009
Nurse Practitioners
Report prepared by Dr. Denise Ryan
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
2/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners iii
AustrAliAn nursing And Midwiery CounCilnAtionAl ACCreditAtion stAndArds And CriteriA
Pam
ACronyMs
exPlAnAtion o terMs 1
doMAin 1: Course MAnAgeMent 7saa : gac 7
saa : Acamc saf 9
saa : s 10
saa : C l a sc 13
doMAin 2: CurriCuluM 14
saa f: Ccm C 14
saa : Appac tac a la 16
saa : s Am 18
saa : Pa epc 20
saa : rac 22
disCussion 23
saa 1 23
saa 2 25
saa 3 26
saa 4 26
saa 5 27
saa 6 28
saa 7 29
saa 8 30
saa 9 30
reerenCe list 32
Contents
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
3/40iv ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
naa Acca saa a Ca
Preamble
These standards and criteria or the accreditation o nursing and midwiery courses leading to registration,
enrolment, endorsement and authorisation in Australia are the result o the nal stage o the Australian Nursing
and Midwiery Councils (ANMC) National Accreditation o Nursing and Midwiery Courses Project. Stage 1 o the
project resulted in a discussion paper recommending the development o a national ramework. The national
ramework was subsequently developed as Stage 2 o the project and endorsed by the ANMC in February 2007.
These standards and criteria t the ANMCs national ramework. The ramework establishes a process within
which courses are granted recognition and approval or a specied time, having met dened requirements.
The standards and criteria provide specic indicators or measuring whether a course ulls the dened
requirements. The standards and criteria have been developed in conjunction with a steering committee o key
industry stakeholders, including regulators, proessional bodies, and academics.
The development o these standards and criteria, while part o the broader accreditation project, is also a
discrete undertaking. It takes advantage o research and consultation not available at the time the ramework
was established and consequently there are some emphases not ound in the ramework. Departures in principle
or intent rom the ramework are clearly identied. Otherwise, the two documents as congruent with and
complement each other and, together, they provide a comprehensive accreditation tool.
There are nine standards, each underpinned by a set ocriteria. These nine standards are divided into twodomains: course management and curriculum. They draw upon the 10 accreditation criteria or categories
established in the ramework (section 4 Accreditation criteria 4.2 Courses).
Each standard has a statement o intent drawing attention to the underlying motivation or the standard or
the principles on which it depends. Each standard is expressed as a requirement or the education provider to
produce evidence o the arrangements or aspects o quality assurance. The statement o intent is ollowed by a
list o the criteria that are pertinent to demonstrating the overarching standard.
Under the list o criteria is an evidence guide, providing suggestions on how compliance with each criterion
may be demonstrated. Alternate means o demonstrating compliance with criteria may be ound and the
education provider is ree to use other means. In some cases, evidence is mandatory and this is indicated with
an (M). Indications in the evidence guide o cross reerencing between the standards and criteria point to the
potential to cite evidence otherwise provided on related criteria rather than duplicating evidence. They alsoprovide an aid to understanding and navigating the intersections between the standards and criteria.
The explanation o terms claries key terminology. The discussion provides a rationale or the drat standards
and criteria in the context o current industry views and contemporary health care research, policy and practice
in Australia and internationally.
AustrAliAn nursing And Midwiery CounCil
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
4/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners v
The central dilemma conronting the development o the accreditation standards and criteria is the need to
balance the costs and practicalities o implementation with the need to protect the public. According to the
National Nursing and Nursing Education Taskorce (N3ET) (2006) Commonwealth Funding or Clinical Practicum
report, education standards should be practical, achievable and where necessary enorceable.1 In accordance
with this principle, the accreditation standards and criteria have been developed as minimum standards or
protecting the public. This acknowledges also that the education provider, having participated in quality
assurance processes in accord with the relevant education sector as a prerequisite or applying or proessional
accreditation, has already passed a rigorous validating process which is unnecessary to duplicate. The emphasis
in these accreditation standards is on producing competent practitioners to protect the public rather than
on the quality and integrity o courses and institutions, which is the ocus o the education sectors quality
assurance processes.
The principal standards or determining competent practitioners are the ANMC National Competency Standards
documents. These establish the national benchmark or entry to practise, indicating that the practitioner has
achieved a level o practice that is both adequate and sae.2 The competency standards establish the required
graduate outcomes or education programs and the minimum standards expected or the protection o the public.
The standards and criteria are relevant to the national registration and accreditation context o 2010 and
beyond. Transition arrangements will be put in place to ensure that education providers and students are not
disadvantaged in relation to current course oerings that dier undamentally rom the national standards. With
this in mind, the standards aim or single pathways to minimum qualications, understanding that where there
are existing alternative pathways, these will be able to continue during the transition period that comes into
eect ater 2010.
The ANMC acknowledges the assistance o the Australian Department o Health and Ageing and the expert
members o the Steering Committee which comprised nursing and midwiery regulators, academics, proessional
organisations and individual proessions in the development o these Standards and Criteria.
1 N3ET (2006). Commonwealth unding or Clinical Practicum: a report on Commonwealth unding to support the costs o clinical
practicum or undergraduate nurses and midwives in Australia, p. 26. Available at: [Accessed:
10 October 2007].
2 Pam McGrath & Jennier Anastasi et al. (2006). Collaborative Voices: ongoing refections on nursing competencies,
Contemporary Nurse 22(1), p. 48.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
5/40vi ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
ANMC Australian Nursing and Midwiery Council
AQF Australian Qualications Framework
ANF Australian Nursing Federation
AUQA Australian Universities Quality Agency
AUTC Australian Universities Teaching Committee
FTE ulltime equivalent
ICN International Council o Nurses
IT inormation technology
MCEETYA Ministerial Council o Education, Employment, Training and Youth Aairs
N3ET National Nursing and Nursing Education Taskorce
NMRA Nursing and Midwiery Regulatory Authority
OECD Organisation or Economic Cooperation and Development
RCNA Royal College oNursing,Australia
RPL recognition o prior learning
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientic and Cultural Organization
ACronyMs
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
6/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 1
Terms used here that have equivalents in the ANMC National Accreditation Framework (2007) use the
existing defnitions rom the ramework and are identifed by an *. Where defnitions o terms rely on
other sources, these sources are identifed.
ACAdeMiC stA
Academic sta are education provider employees who meet the requirements established in standard 2 (must be
registered and hold a qualication higher than that or which the students they instruct are studying) and who
are engaged in the teaching, supervision, support and/or assessment o students in relation to their acquisition o
the required skills, knowledge, attitudes and graduate competency outcomes.
AdvAnCed PrACtiCe nursing
Advanced practice nursing denes a level o nursing practice that uses extended and expanded skills, experience
and knowledge in assessment, planning, implementation, diagnosis and evaluation o the care required. Nurses
practising at this level are educated at postgraduate level and may work in either a specialist or generalist
capacity. However, the basis o advanced practice is the high degree o knowledge, skill and experience that
is applied within the nursepatient/client relationship to achieve optimal outcomes through critical analysis,
problem solving and accurate decision making.
Advanced practice nursing orms the basis o the role o the nurse practitioner. The nurse practitioner role is an
expanded orm o advanced practice nursing specically regulated by legislation and by proessional regulation.
Legislation may allow prescribing and reerral, in addition to admitting privileges to health care acilities. (Glenn
Gardner, Jenny Carryer, Sandra Dunn & Anne Gardner (2004)Nurse Practitioner Standards Project: Report to
Australian Nursing and Midwiery Council, p. vi, rom the Royal College oNursing,Australias (RCNA) position
statement on Advanced Nursing Practice).
AgreeMent
Agreement is a shared ormal agreement between the education provider and any health service providers where
students gain their proessional experience, based on the policies demonstrated in relation to standard 1.
AssessMent
Assessment is the process o collecting evidence and making judgements as to whether a learning outcome
has been met (adapted rom assessment Nurses Board o South Australia (2005)Standards or Approval oEducation Providers and Courses).
AssessMent tyPes
Includes *ormative assessment (intended to provide eedback or the purposes o uture learning,
development and improvement) and *summative assessment (that leads to an indication o whether or not
certain criteria have been met or whether certain outcomes have been achieved).
AssessMent tAsks
Includes, or instance, written papers or oral presentations.
AssessMent ContextsIncludes the proessional practice context and the simulated or laboratory context.
exPlAnAtion o terMs
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
7/402 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
CAPAbility
Capability is the ability to use competencies in novel and complex situations. Capability orients nurse
practitioner competencies towards contextualised experiential learning and scenariobased evaluation. (drawn
rom Gardner et al. (2004)Nurse Practitioner Standards Project, pp. 9495.)
CoMPetenCe
Competence is the combination o the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and abilities that underpin eective
perormance in a proession. It encompasses condence and capability (rom ANMC (2007)National Decision
Making FrameworkFinal Framework).
ConsuMer
Consumers are individuals, groups or communities who work in partnership with nurses to plan and receive
nursing care. The term consumer includes patients, residents and/or their amilies, representatives or signicant
others. Advising consumers o their right to make inormed choices in relation to their care, and obtaining their
consent, are key responsibilities o all health care proessionals (adapted rom ANMC (2007)National Decision
Making FrameworkFinal Framework).
Continuing CoMPetenCe
Continuing competence is the ability o nurse practitioners to demonstrate that they have maintained their
competence in their current area and context o practice (rom ANMC (2007)Drat National ContinuingCompetence FrameworkDrat 2).
*Course
Course is the ull program o study and experiences required to be undertaken beore a qualication recognised
under the Australian Qualications Framework (AQF) and approved by the regulatory authority can be conerred
(e.g., a Bachelor or Master o Nursing).
Crossborder higher eduCAtion
Crossborder higher education includes higher education that takes place in situations where the teacher,
student, course, education provider or course materials cross national jurisdictional borders. It may includehigher education by public/private and notorprot/orprot providers. It encompasses a wide range o
delivery modes, in a continuum rom acetoace (taking various orms such as students travelling abroad and
campuses abroad) to distance learning (using a range o technologies and including elearning). (adapted rom
United Nations Educational, Scientic and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) guidelines denition o crossborder
higher education, p. 7 note 2; AQPN toolkit denition 2.1: the delivery in one country o education that directly
originates, in whole or in part, rom another country). Contrast with Department o Education, Science and
Training (DEST) denition o Australian Transnational Education in A National Quality Strategy or Australian
Transnational Education and Traininga discussion paper (2005) 2.1 which is a more restricted concept: As distinct
rom education and training provided in a purely distance mode, transnational education and training includes a
physical presence o instructors oshore.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
8/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 3
CulturAl sAety
Cultural saety means the eective nursing practice o a person or amily rom another culture, and is determined
by that person or amily. Culture includes, but is not restricted to: age or generation; gender; sexual orientation;
occupation and socioeconomic status; ethnic origin or migrant experience; religious or spiritual belie;
and disability.
The nurse delivering the nursing service will have undertaken a process o refection on his or her own cultural
identity and will recognise the impact that this has on his or her proessional practice. Unsae cultural practice
comprises any action which diminishes, demeans or disempowers the cultural identity and wellbeing o an
individual. (Nursing Council o New Zealand (2005) denition o Cultural Saety, Guidelines or Cultural Saety,
the Treaty o Waitangi and Maori Health in Nursing Education and Practice.)
delivery Mode
Delivery mode is the means by which courses are made available to students: oncampus or in mixedmode,
by distance or by elearning methods.
*eduCAtion Provider
Education provider is an Australian university responsible or a course, the graduates o which are eligible to
apply or nurse practitioner authorisation, endorsement or registration in Australia.
grAduAtes
Graduates are students who, having undertaken a course, are eligible to apply or nurse pracitioner authorisation,
endorsement or registration.
grAduAte CoMPetenCy outCoMes
Graduate competency outcomes are learning outcomes that correlate with the ANMC National Competency
Standards and that establish the benchmark or nurse practitioner authorisation, endorsement or registration.
heAlth serviCe Provider
Health service providers are health units or other appropriate service providers, where students undertake a
period o supervised proessional experience as part o a course, the graduates o which are eligible to apply or
nurse practitioner authorisation, endorsement or registration (adapted rom denition or clinical acilities in
the ANMC National Accreditation Framework).
interProessionAl leArning And PrACtiCe
Interproessional learning and practice are where two or more health care proessionals learn with, rom and
about each other and/or work together to solve problems or provide services (adapted rom denitions o
interproessional education and interproessional collaboration in Zwarenstein and Reeves). Alternatively,
interproessional education occurs when two or more proessions learn with, rom and about each
other to improve collaboration and the quality o care. (Centre or the Advancement o Interproessional
Education, 2002).
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
9/404 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
leArning outCoMes
Learning outcomes are the skills, knowledge and attitudes identied as the requirements or satisactory course
completion including, but not limited to, the graduate competency outcomes.
MAsters degree in nurse PrACtitioner PrACtiCe
A Masters degree is gained ater completion o a Masters course approved by the regulatory authority that leads
to registration, endorsement or authorisation as a nurse practitioner in Australia.
nurse PrACtitionerA nurse practitioner is a registered nurse educated to unction autonomously and collaboratively in an advanced
and extended clinical role. The role includes assessment and management o clients using nursing knowledge
and skills and may include but is not limited to the direct reerral o patients to other health care proessionals,
prescribing medications and ordering diagnostic investigations. The nurse practitioner role is grounded in the
nursing proessions values, knowledge, theories and practice and provides innovative and fexible health care
delivery that complements those provided by other health care providers. The scope o practice o the nurse
practitioner is determined by the context in which the nurse practitioner is authorised to practise. (Gardner et al.
(2004)Nurse Practitioner Standards Project, p. 3).
nursing inquiry
Nursing inquiry has three levels: 1. Critical engagement in everyday practice through systematic refection oprocesses and outcomes; 2. collaborative and ongoing evaluation o local practices; and 3. nursing research or
the advancement o nursing knowledge (rom J Crisp & B McCormack Critical inquiry and practice development
in Jackie Crisp and Catherine Taylor eds.,Potter and Perrys Fundamentals o Nursing, 3rd edition, in press).
Portolio
A compiled portolio that demonstrates competencies and capability in practice (Gardner et al. (2004)Nurse
Practitioner Standards Project, table 3.3. p. 95).
PrACtiCe
Practice is any nurse practitioner role which the graduate, having become an authorised, endorsed or registeredpractitioner, undertakes. Practice is not restricted to the provision o direct clinical care only. Being in practice
thereore includes using nurse practitioner knowledge in a direct relationship with consumers, working in
nurse practitioner management, administration, education, research, proessional advice, regulatory or policy
development roles, which impact on nurse practitioner service delivery (adapted rom denition o practice used
in continuing competence project, itsel adapted rom Nursing Council o New Zealand 2004).
*ProCedurAl Airness
Procedural airness involves the ollowing principles:
> The decisionmaker must be impartial and unbiased regarding the matter to be decided, and must have no
pecuniary or [proprietary] interest in the outcome.
> Those who may be adversely aected by a decision must be given prior notice o the case and a airopportunity to prepare or and answer the case and present their own case.
> The decision must be based on sound argument and evidence.
> Those aected must be given the reasons or the decision.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
10/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 5
ProessionAl exPerienCe
Proessional experience is any nurse practitioner learning experience, including in simulated environments or
proessional experience placements, which assists students to put theoretical knowledge into practice.
ProessionAl exPerienCe PlACeMent
Proessional experience placement is the component o nurse practitioner education that allows students to put
theoretical knowledge into practice within the consumer care environment (adapted rom Clare et al 2003 clinical
placement/practicum). It includes, but is not limited to, the hospital setting, and may include general practice,
remote and rural health clinics, and community care environments.
ProessionAl exPerienCe suPPort systeMs
An individual or group o health proessionals (this may be a multidisciplinary team o health proessionals)
providing students with a range o proessional support in the development o nurse practitioner competencies
which may include, but not be limited to, mentoring, discussion and assessment o nurse practitioner
decisionmaking, and recommendations or uture practice.
regulAtion
Regulation is all o those legitimate and appropriate meansgovernmental, proessional, private and individual
whereby order, identity, consistency and control are brought to the proession. The proession and its members
are dened; the scope o practice is determined; standards o education and o ethical and competent practiceare set; and systems o accountability are established through these means. (International Council o Nurses
(ICN) Regulation Terminology: .
nursing And Midwiery regulAtory Authorities
Nursing and midwiery regulatory authorities (NMRAs), including the state and territory nursing and midwiery
boards or equivalent authorities (adapted rom the ANMCAccreditation FrameworkNMRAs).
registrAtion/registered
Registration/registered reers to registered nurses, divisions 1, 3 and 4 in Victoria, and registered mental health
nurses, however titled, in other jurisdictions.
risk AssessMent And risk MAnAgeMent
Risk assessment and risk management together orm an eective risk management system. This system is one
incorporating strategies to:
> identiy risks and hazards
> assess the likelihood o the risks occurring and the severity o the consequences i the risks do occur
> prevent the occurrence o the risks, or minimise their impact (rom the ANMCDecision Making Framework).
siMulAtion
Simulation is a teaching and learning strategy to assist students to achieve direct consumer care skills,
knowledge and attitudes in relation to a tool or environment (including skills learned in a laboratory setting)
which reproduces aspects o theproessional experience environment.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
11/406 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
student
A student is any person undertaking a course leading to authorisation, endorsement or registration as a
nurse practitioner.
suPervision And/or suPPort
Supervision and/or support is where, or instance, an academic stamember or a nurse supports and/or
supervises a student undertaking a course leading to authorisation (or endorsement or registration) as a nurse
practitioner on aproessional experience placement.
university/universities
A university or universities are institutions listed as Australian universities on the AQF Register. Being listed
on the register indicates that the Ministerial Council o Education, Employment, Training and Youth Aairs
(MCEETYA) vouches or the quality o the institution; and which meet the requirements o protocols A and D
o theNational Protocols or Higher Education Processes (2006), are established by an Australian legislative
instrument, as dened in Part 3 o theNational Protocols, and may include institutions operating with a
university college title or with a specialised university title, where they meet these protocols. This ollows the
ANMC position statement (2008) Registered nurse and midwie education in Australia.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
12/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 7
Standard one: Governance
The course provider demonstrates policies, procedures, processes and practices in regard to: quality assurance
and improvement; course design and management; consultation and collaboration; and ensuring resources
adequate to course implementation.
stAteMent o intent
That courses have adequate governance arrangements to produce graduates with the required graduate
competency outcomes, as detailed in the ANMC National Competency Standards or the Nurse Practitioner to
produce sae and competent practitioners.
CriteriA
The course provider is required to demonstrate or conrm:
Current quality assurance and accreditation in the relevant education sector in Australianurse practitioner1)
courses must show evidence o university quality assurance and accreditation.
Course development, monitoring, review, evaluation and quality improvement.2)
Collaborative approaches to course organisation and curriculum design between academic sta, students,3)
consumers and key stakeholders.
That students are provided with acilities and resources sucient in quality and quantity to the attainment o4)
the required graduate competency outcomes.
How shared ormal agreements between the education provider and any health service providers5)
where students gain their proessional experience are developed and reviewed, and justication o
their requirements.
How risk assessments o and risk minimisation strategies or any environment where students are placed to6)
gain their proessional experience are developed.
That credit transer or the recognition o prior learning (RPL) is consistent with both AQF national principles7)
and the expected outcomes o regulatory authorities or practice.
The equivalence o course outcomes or courses taught in Australia in all delivery modes in which the course8)
is oered (courses delivered oncampus or in mixedmode, by distance or by elearning methods).
The equivalence o course outcomes or crossborder education in all delivery modes in which the course is9)
oered (courses delivered oncampus or in mixedmode, by distance or by elearning methods).
Monitoring o sta perormance and ongoing academic sta development, and evidence o sta having10)
current relevant proessional registration.
doMAin 1: Course MAnAgeMent
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
13/408 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
evidenCe guide
Criterion Examples o evidence that may be produced to demonstrate compliance with criterion.
Except where indicated with an (M) signiying mandatory, the Evidence Guide represents
suggestions only and the provider may demonstrate the criterion with reerence to
other means.
Conrmation o successul completion o the Australian Universities Quality Agency1)
(AUQA) audit report, including date o expiration o approval (M). Listing on the current
AQF register. Account o any restrictions on accreditation status (M).
Current template or school course review documentation, such as evaluation, quality2)improvement plan, reports or descriptions o ways in which these processes have
impacted or will impact on course design and delivery. Documentation o the need or and
viability o the course relative to the jurisdiction in which the course is to be delivered:
(e.g., evidence o consultation with industry and support or course in region(s) where it
is to be oered. Scoping study.
Collaboration activitiesAdvisory committee membership and monitoring committee3)
membership. Documentation o collaborative curriculum developmentTerms o
Reerence or committees and minutes o meetings.
Evidence o resources (cross reerence with standard 8, criterion 3),4)
Guidelines that prescribe content o agreements. Meeting minutes o negotiation5)o agreements.
Guidelines or policies or risk assessments and risk minimisation strategies.6)
Credit transer/RPL policies, including description o how curriculum is matched to7)
determine RPL (M). Examples o RPL or an overseas nurse practitioner. Documentation
that identies process and outcomes or RPL.
Description o processes to ensure equivalence o course outcomesdocumentation8)
o arrangements or online courses to satisy proessional experience component o
course (M).
Description o processes to ensure equivalence o course outcomesdocumentation o9)arrangements or oshore courses to satisy proessional experience component o course
(M)e.g., breakdown o onshore and oshore teaching. Declaration regarding teaching
and assessment in English (also standard 4, criterion 7, nal placement in Australia).
Copies o policies/descriptions o processes or sta perormance review, policies/10)
processes or identiying and dealing with sta noncompliance o requirements or
maintaining nursing registration (or other proessional registration where applicable).
Descriptions o sta proessional development activities. Policies regarding personal sta
perormance development plans.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
14/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 9
issues to note
The argument or mandating that courses should be oered by a university is articulated in the ANMC position
statement Registered nurse and midwie education in Australia. Available at: and and .
Standard two: academic StaffinG
The course provider demonstrates policies, procedures, processes and practices to demonstrate that sta are
qualied and prepared or their roles and responsibilities in relation to educating and supervising students
working at an advanced level.
stAteMent o intent
That sta are qualied and sucient in number to provide students with the support and the expertise necessary
to attain their graduate competency outcomes to produce sae and competent practitioners.
CriteriA
The course provider is required to demonstrate that:
the Head o Discipline and academic sta members hold a tertiary qualication relevant to their nursing1) proession as a minimum qualication.
that the Head o Discipline and academic sta are registered nurses with a current practising certicate.2)
in cases where an academic sta members qualications are not in nursing their qualications are relevant3)
to the education o the given students (e.g., in crossdisciplinary courses)
academic sta hold a qualication that is higher than or equal to the qualication or which the students they4)
educate are studying (or justication o where exceptions to this criterion should be made)
academic sta are qualied to ull their teaching responsibilities, including current competence in area5)
o teaching.
stang arrangements around course delivery are aligned with course outcomes.6)
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
15/4010 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
evidenCe guide
Criterion Examples o evidence that may be produced to demonstrate compliance with criterion.
Except where indicated with an (M) signiying mandatory, the Evidence Guide represents
suggestions only and the provider may demonstrate the criterion with reerence to
other means.
Position descriptions indicating minimum qualications. Sample copies o1)
curriculum vitae.
Position descriptions indicating requirement or current practising certicate; description2)
o processes or checking that sta maintain current practising certicate. Sample copies
o relevant current practising certicates.
List o current academic sta, including teaching experience, qualications and courses3)
taught (M).
As per criterion 3.4)
As per criterion 3.5)
Policies or sta recruitment; justication o sta selection against course delivery (cross6)
reerence with standard 8, criterion 6).
Standard three: StudentS
The course provider demonstrates policies, procedures, processes and practices which establish: equal
opportunities or students to successully meet the requirements or authorisation (or endorsement or
registration); that students are inormed o preenrolment o specic entry requirements or learning styles that
the course may require and that they are aware o regulatory authorities requirements or authorisation (or
endorsement or registration).
stAteMent o intent
That courses are underpinned by equal opportunity principles in terms o recruitment, enrolment and
support o students and establish that students are given the opportunity to make inormed course selections
preenrolment, understanding:
> any specic requirements o the provider or entry to the course
> any specic teaching and learning approaches through which the course is delivered, or
> any regulatory authorities requirements or authorisation (or endorsement or registration).
CriteriA
The course provider is required to demonstrate:
Recruitment:
that students are inormed o specic requirements or right o entry to proessional experience placements1)
that students are inormed o regulatory authorities criteria or authorisation (or endorsement or registration)2)to practice.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
16/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 11
Enrolment:
that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are encouraged to enrol3)
that4) students rom other groups underrepresented in the nursing proession, especially those rom culturally
and linguistically diverse groups, are encouraged to enrol
that students who have diverse academic, work and lie experiences and achievements are o diverse5)
social and cultural backgrounds, and o diverse ages, and whom meet the essential admission criteria are
encouraged to enrol.
Support:
provision or the range o support needs or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students6)provision or the range o support needs o students: rom other groups underrepresented in the nursing7)
proession; rom diverse academic, work and lie experiences and achievements; o diverse social and cultural
backgrounds; and o diverse ages
that all students have equal opportunity to gain all graduate competency outcomes regardless o the mode o8)
course delivery.
evidenCe guide
Criterion Examples o evidence that may be produced to demonstrate compliance with criterion.
Except where indicated with an (M) signiying mandatory, the Evidence Guide represents
suggestions only and the provider may demonstrate the criterion with reerence to
other means.
Course handbook or equivalent with details o requirements or police checks, vaccination1)
etc. or proessional experience placement, including processes or noncompliance (M).
Course handbook or equivalent with details o requirementsEnglish language2)
requirements, demonstration o good character, immunisation complianceand links to
regulatory authority inormation and criteria or registration to practice (M).
Equal opportunity policies with regard to admission; evidence o University policy and3)
course application (M).
As per criterion 3.4)
As per criterion 3.5)
Description o student support services or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students;6)
university policy and course application (M).
Description o student support services or students rom diverse cultural and linguistic7)
backgrounds, or mature age students etc; disability support services; university policy
and course application (M).
Course handbook or equivalent with details o mode(s) o delivery o courses, including8)
proessional experience requirements and inormation technology requirements (M).
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
17/4012 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
AdMission CriteriA
(including adapted ANMC 2004 Accreditation Standards or Nurse Practitioners, standard 1).3
Required evidence must include documents that demonstrate:
a) current registration as a nurse in Australia
b) length and depth o experiencea minimum o ve years ulltime equivalent (FTE) experience as a
Registered Nurse, including three years FTE as a Registered Nurse in a specialty area and one year FTE at an
advanced practice level in the relevant specialty area o practice
c) requisite education or equivalent in a specialty eld as entry to the nurse practitioner programBachelor o
Nursing or equivalent and Postgraduate qualication in a specialty eld that has prepared the student oradvanced practice (either as a prerequisite or integrated into the masters degree)
d) required proessional activityactive involvement in proessional organisations and contribution to the
ongoing development o the proession
e) conrmed support or the applicant to complete all proessional experience requirements o the course.
evidenCe guide
Criterion Examples o evidence that may be produced to demonstrate compliance with criterion.
Except where indicated with an (M) signiying mandatory, the Evidence Guide represents
suggestions only and the provider may demonstrate the criterion with reerence to
other means.
Course handbook or equivalent with details o requirements or current practising1)
certicates (M).
Course handbook or equivalent with details o requirements or preadmission length and2)
depth o experience (M).
Course handbook or equivalent with details o requirements or preadmission3)
education (M).
List o proessional memberships. Membership o proessional committees. Publications4)
related to proessional activities. Additional proessional roles and activities (e.g.,
mentoring).
Letter/statement o support rom the students employer o organisational support or the5)
student to complete all the proessional experience requirements o the course both at
the students place o employment and at other agencies. This includes role development
support as required and a description with corroborating testimony rom the student o
how all proessional experience requirements o the course, including role development
support, will be met (cross reerence with standard 1, criterion 4).
issues to note
The criteria adopt the 2004 ANMC Accreditation Standards or Nurse Practitioners, standard 1, rom the Gardner
et al. Nurse Practitioners Standards Report as the basis or the admission criteria. Further details have been
added, drawing partly on existing or drat criteria rom a number o jurisdictions.
3 Glenn Gardner, Jenny Carryer, Sandra Dunn &, Anne Gardner (2004)Nurse Practitioner Standards Project: Report to
Australian Nursing and Midwiery Council, ANMC, Canberra). Hereater noted in text as Gardner et al. NP Standards Report.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
18/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 13
Standard four: courSe lenGth and Structure
The course provider demonstrates policies, procedures, processes and practices to establish that the total
length o the course and the time and place in the course allocated to proessional experience is appropriate
to the graduate competency outcomes to be developed, with evidence o an integration o theory and
proessional experience.
stAteMent o intent
That the course structure is sucient to gain the graduate competency outcomes.
CriteriA
The course provider is required to demonstrate that:
or courses leading to authorisation (or endorsement or registration) as a nurse practitioner, the minimum1)
qualication is a Masters degree in nurse practitioner practice*
the total length and structure o the course is sucient to allow all graduate competency outcomes to be met2)
the academic content o the course prepares students or the timing and length o proessional3)
experience placements
proessional experiences are sucient to allow all graduate competency outcomes to be met4)
where the structure o the course allows or qualications or entry and exit these are outlined and that the5)
exit points meet standards or exit qualications.
evidenCe guide
Criterion Examples o evidence that may be produced to demonstrate compliance with criterion.
Except where indicated with an (M) signiying mandatory, the Evidence Guide represents
suggestions only and the provider may demonstrate the criterion with reerence to
other means.
Course handbook or equivalent with details o course length and structure (M).1)
Copy o ull course outline (M).2)
Map/grid table o total proessional experience outcomes in relation to graduate3)
competency outcomes (M).
As per criterion 3.4)
Documentation o exit processes and standards.5)
issues to note
* The second pathway wherein a completed masters degree in something other than, though relevant to, nurse practitioner
practice is used as the basis to meet requirements or nurse practitioner authorisation (or endorsement or registration) that
currently operates in some jurisdictions would be able to continue under the transition arrangements beyond 2010 reerred to in
the preamble. Thereater, the single pathway, indicated as criterion 1, would be the national standard.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
19/4014 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
Standard five: curriculum content
The course provider demonstrates policies, procedures, processes and practices to establish that the curriculum
comprehensively addresses the graduate competency outcomes and has been developed in consultation with
relevant specialty organisations.
stAteMent o intent
That the curriculum is tailored to the advanced skill and knowledge competencies o the role o nurse
practitioner.
CriteriA
The course provider is required to demonstrate that:
curriculum has been mapped against the ANMCs National Competency Standards or the Nurse Practitioner,1)
to demonstrate how the graduate competency outcomes are to be achieved
selection, organisation, sequencing and delivery o learning experiences provides students with the2)
opportunity to attain all required graduate competency outcomes
the curriculum addresses specically Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples health and culture and3)
incorporates the principles o cultural saety
the central ocus o the course is on advanced nursing practice addressing, across the length o the course,4)
oundation, proessional and contemporary nurse practitioner knowledge and skills:> Foundation knowledge and skills:
That the central ocus o the curriculum is on extended and specialised nursing practice (within
a specialist context where applicable), understood as advanced nursing practice knowledge and
skill in conjunction with legislative provisions that enable the nurse to deliver a health service that
encompasses a complete episode o care to [consumers].
(See also Gardner et al NP Standards Project Report, denition o extended practice, vii.)
That the ocus on extended and specialised nursing and nursing practice involves the assessment and
management o consumers using nursing knowledge and skills, and may include but not be limited
to: direct reerral o consumers to other members o the healthcare team; prescribing medications and
ordering diagnostic investigations (Adapted rom ANMCs National Competency Standards or the Nurse
Practitioner (2006) p. 1).
> Proessional knowledge and skills:
Demonstrate that the curriculum comprehensively addresses the knowledge and skills associated with
extended and specialised nursing practice, including but not limited to: the proessional, legal and
ethical responsibilities o extended and specialised nursing practice; an understanding o cultural
saety; and an understanding o regulation and health policy issues as they relate to extended and
specialised nursing practice.
> Contemporary knowledge and skills:
Demonstrate that the curriculum is responsive to and refects healthcare matters that have national and
international signicance, including but not limited to the national health priorities, remote and rural
health, mental health and chronic disease selmanagement, aged care, and primary health care.
Demonstrate that the curriculum incorporates the healthcare priorities o the region or locality
where the course is oered or any specialist research or practice available to the course provider thatcomplements the study o extended and specialised nursing.
doMAin 2: CurriCuluM
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
20/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 15
that the curriculum includes research and its application to the nurse practitioner role5)
that technology, including inormation technology and inormation management, to support health care is6)
integral to the curriculum
that the curriculum addresses knowledge in advanced pharmacology and therapeutic medication7)
management or prescribers (or or nurse practitioners to prescribe competently, legally and ethically)
that specialties and/or electives* in the course complement the nurse practitioner role and scope o practice8)
the curriculum, approaches to teaching and learning, and assessment procedures are developed cognisant o9)
best practice research and practice.
evidenCe guideCriterion Examples o evidence that may be produced to demonstrate compliance with criterion.
Except where indicated with an (M) signiying mandatory, the Evidence Guide represents
suggestions only and the provider may demonstrate the criterion with reerence to
other means.
Map/grid table o competency standards against specic curriculum content/units,1)
including cross reerencing with standard 4, criterion 3 (M), where applicable.
Rationale/philosophy or course content and organisation o units.2)
Identication o Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content across the course with3)
evidence o reerence to ANMC position statement on Inclusion o Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Peoples Health and Cultural Issues in Courses Leading to Registration and
Enrolment (M).
Detailed description o course content relative to the requirements indicated, including4)
reerence to relevant current reports (report on mental health in preregistration
nursing courses and chronic disease selmanagement report/toolkit). Identication o
contemporary legal, proessional and published inormation sources in support o the
content (M) (cross reerence with standard 4, criterion 2, where applicable).
Identication o content ocused on or related to research and application o research5)
across the course (M).
List o content ocused on or related to health/nursing inormatics across the course.6)
Identication o content ocused on or related to pharmacology and therapeutic7)
medication management or prescribers across the course (M).
List and description o electives, including their relevance to nurse practitioner practice,8)
where applicable (M).
Benchmarking against selected examples o national and international best practice.9)
Examples o research and evidenceled curriculum.
issues to note
Drat criteria 1 and 8 incorporate the 2004 ANMC Accreditation Standards or Nurse Practitioners, standard 2,
rom the Gardner et al. NP Standards Report.
Working group participants advised o a need to have pharmacology singled out or particular attention.
*specialties and/or electives here mean any approved units that are not part o core units.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
21/4016 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
Standard Six: aPProacheS to teachinG and learninG
The course provider demonstrates policies, procedures, processes and practices to establish that the course is
consistent with contemporary teaching and learning best practice.
stAteMent o intent
That contemporary, relevant and varied approaches to teaching and learning underpin the course and
teaching and learning approaches provide Australian and international best practice perspectives on the nurse
practitioner role.
CriteriA
The course provider is required to demonstrate:
The course curriculum ramework and expected teaching and learning outcomes.1)
Congruence between content, practical application, competency achievement and teaching and2)
learning strategies.
Understanding o current Australian and international best practice teaching and learning approaches.3)
A commitment to the development o graduates who are sae and competent or beginninglevel nurse4)
practitioner practice.
Interproessional learning and practice.5)
That approaches to teaching and learning achieve stated course outcomes.6)Flexible learning pathways and processes o support or studentdetermined learning goals and strategies.7)
That extensive learning requirements in the specialist proessional experience eld and mentored experiential8)
processes are central to the educational experience.
Capability approaches to learning.9)
Collaborative approach to the nomination o proessional experience support systems or the student that are10)
o satisaction to the education provider beore the students commencement in the course.
Justication or minimum education and experience requirements or proessional experience11)
support systems.
How the role o the proessional experience support systems complements course content, delivery12)
and assessment.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
22/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 17
evidenCe guide
Criterion Examples o evidence that may be produced to demonstrate compliance with criterion.
Except where indicated with an (M) signiying mandatory, the Evidence Guide represents
suggestions only and the provider may demonstrate the criterion with reerence to
other means.
Curriculum ramework with teaching and learning outcomes identiedcross reerence1)
with standard 4, criteria 2 and 3 (M). Examples o unit outlines (M).
Description o how congruence between content, practical application, competency2)
achievement and teaching and learning strategies is achieved. Copy o course vision and/or philosophy (M).
Statement and description o current Australian and international teaching and learning3)
approaches relative to course teaching and learning approaches (cross reerence with
standard 5, criterion 9). Sta publications in teaching and learning (cross reerence with
standard 9).
Final statements o students having achieved graduate competency outcomes.4)
Lesson plans indicating interproessional learning and teaching approaches. Examples5)
rom curriculum o opportunities or interproessional learning.
Identication and examples o evaluation strategies or teaching and learning6)approaches. Reports and results o these strategies. Course experience questionnaires.
Student destination surveys.
Description and examples o the range o learning experiences used across the course,7)
including details o processes or student determination o learning.
Description and examples rom curriculum o opportunities or specialist proessional8)
experience and mentored experience.
Description and examples rom curriculum o capability approaches used.9)
Records/minutes o meetings o negotiations leading to the nomination o the10)
proessional experience support systems.
List o credentials required or proessional experience support systems.11)
Description and examples rom curriculum o opportunities or proessional experience12)
support systems to engage with curriculum.
issues to note
The criteria adopt 2004 ANMC Accreditation Standards or Nurse Practitioners, Standard 3, rom the Gardner et al.
NP Standards Report: drat criteria 7, 8 and 9 are drawn rom 3 a, b and c respectively. Further detail is suggested
by other jurisdictional standards and working group consultation.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
23/4018 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
Standard Seven: Student aSSeSSment
The course provider demonstrates policies, procedures, processes and practices to establish that the course
incorporates a variety o approaches to assessment that are suited to the nature o the learning experiences and
that achieve the required learning outcomes.
stAteMent o intent
That assessment is explicitly and comprehensively linked to the attainment o the graduate competency
outcomes, is consistent with best practice assessment approaches and uses diverse assessment techniques to
produce sae and competent practitioners.
CriteriA
The course provider is required to demonstrate:
That graduates have achieved each graduate competency outcome on completion o the course.1)
That the level and number o assessments are consistent with determining the achievement o the graduate2)
competency outcomes.
A variety o assessment types and tasks across the course to enhance individual and collective learning.3)
A variety o assessment contexts, to ensure demonstration o targeted skills leading to competence.4)
Assessment in the proessional experience context to establish the combination o skills, knowledge,5)
attitudes, values and abilities that underpin competent and capable perormance.Procedural airness, validity and transparency o assessment.6)
That the education provider remains ultimately accountable or the assessment o students in relation to their7)
proessional experience assessment.
That assessments refect collaborative arrangements between students, nurse practitioners, proessional8)
experience support systems, other health proessionals and academics.
A commitment to contextualised, scenariobased assessment strategies which must include oral assessment9)
and assessor observation o the student in the proessional experience environment in the context o nurse
practitioner practice.
That assessment includes a comprehensive portolio o learning and practice experiences examined both10)
internally to the course and externally.
That assessment includes pharmacology competence.11)
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
24/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 19
evidenCe guide
Criterion Examples o evidence that may be produced to demonstrate compliance with criterion.
Except where indicated with an (M) signiying mandatory, the Evidence Guide represents
suggestions only and the provider may demonstrate the criterion with reerence to
other means.
Matrix/statement o achievement demonstrating where competency standards have been1)
met within the course (cross reerence with standard 6, criterion 4).
Examples o how competence is being assessed across the curriculum, aligned with2)
mapping o competencies against content in standards 4 and 5.
Description and list o range o assessment types used. Lesson plans and unit outlines3)
indicating range o assessment types used.
Description and list o range o assessment contexts used, including those in structured or4)
simulated environments. Lesson plans and unit outlines indicating range o assessment
contexts used, including those in structured or simulated environments.
Identication and description o ormative and summative assessments undertaken in5)
proessional experience context. Examples o assessments. Lesson plans and unit outlines
indicating assessments used in proessional experience context.
Validation models or assessment. Description and justication or chosen assessment6)tools. Policies or dealing with lack o progression, misadventure, grievance.
Identication o how this is demonstrated within university quality assurance process.
Statement acknowledging education providers accountability or student assessment in7)
the proessional experience context.
List o collaborative activities/stakeholders involved. Description o processes to8)
engage stakeholders.
Description/list/unit outlines indicating scenariobased assessment strategies, including9)
oral assessment and assessor observation o the student in the proessional experience
environment in the context o nurse practitioner practice (cross reerence with criteria 3 to
5 o this standard, where applicable).
Description/list/unit outline indicating the inclusion o a comprehensive portolio o10)
learning and practice experiences examined both internally to the course and externally.
Details o peer review processes o same (cross reerence with criteria 3 to 5 o this
standard, where applicable).
Description/list/unit outline indicating the assessment o pharmacology competence11)
(cross reerence with standard 5, criterion 7).
issues to note
The criteria adopt the 2004 ANMC Accreditation Standards or Nurse Practitioners, standard 4 rom the Gardner et
al. NP Standards Report. This standard should be read together with Table 3.3 on p. 95 o the report.
Drat criteria 9 and 10 draw respectively on the 2004 ANMC Accreditation Standards or Nurse Practitioners,
standard 4 a and b, together with some additional detail.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
25/4020 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
Standard eiGht: ProfeSSional exPerience
The course provider demonstrates policies, procedures, processes and practices to establish that proessional
experience is conducted in an environment that provides conditions or students to gain the graduate
competency outcomes.
stAteMent o intent
That proessional experience complements and promotes learning and that the conditions in which it is provided
are risk assessed and risk managed.
CriteriA
The course provider is required to demonstrate:
That proessional experience supports learning activities and provides opportunities to attain learning1)
outcomes (cross reerence with standard 4).
That proessional experience provides opportunities or experiential learning o curriculum content (cross2)
reerence with standard 4, criterion 3).
Shared ormal agreements between the education provider and all health service providers where students3)
gain their proessional experience (cross reerence with standard 1, criterion 5).
Risk assessment o and risk minimisation or all environments where students are placed to gain their4)
proessional experience (cross reerence with standard 1, criterion 6).
Collaborative approaches to evaluation o students proessional experience placements.5)
Supervision models or proessional experience placement and the relationship o the models to the6)
achievement o learning outcomes (cross reerence with standard 2, criterion 6).
That academic sta engaged in supporting and/or assessing students on proessional experience placements7)
are experienced in and prepared or the role (cross reerence with standard 2).
That nurses or nurse practitioners and other health proessionals who are engaged in supporting students8)
on proessional experience placementsincluding the students nominated proessional experience support
systemsare prepared or the role and that nurse practitioners or other health proessionals engaged in
assessing students on proessional experience placementsincluding the students nominated proessional
experience support systemsare prepared or the role.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
26/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 21
evidenCe guide
Criterion Examples o evidence that may be produced to demonstrate compliance with criterion.
Except where indicated with an (M) signiying mandatory, the Evidence Guide represents
suggestions only and the provider may demonstrate the criterion with reerence to
other means.
As per standard 4 criterion 3detailed description o how learning is tailored to the needs1)
o the student (M).
List o agreed health service providers with which students will undertake proessional2)
experience placements (M). Description and examples o opportunities or experientiallearning o curriculum content (cross reerence with standard 4, criterion 3, and
standard 7, criterion 4.
Shared ormal agreements, or a sample signed copy o a ormal agreement together with3)
a register o agreements (including date when agreements were rst developed and when
they are due to expire) between the education provider and any health service providers
where students gain their proessional experience, based on the policies demonstrated in
relation to standard 1, criterion 5 (M).
Description o and guidelines or parameters o student activity when on proessional4)
experience placement, based on the policies demonstrated in relation to standard 1,
criterion 6 (M).
Postplacement evaluation o students experience o the proessional experience5)
environment or quality improvement purposes (cross reerence with standard 6,
criterion 10, where applicable).
Description and justication o how students are supervised on proessional experience6)
placement with reerence to how nature and degree o supervision impacts on
learning outcomes.
Outline o preparation programs/resources or sta. Policies regarding minimum7)
experience/qualications. Preparation and development o models/resources
or assessors.
Outline o preparation programs/resources or nurses, nurse practitioners or other health8)proessionals, including those nominated as the students proessional experience
support systems, who support and/or conduct student assessment in the proessional
experience context. Policies regarding their minimum experience and qualications.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
27/4022 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
Standard nine: reSearch
The course provider demonstrates policies, procedures, processes and practices to establish that graduates are
educated in nursing inquiry and that the contribution o the academic sta to the education course is inormed
by research and scholarship.
stAteMent o intent
That students are exposed to, and their learning inormed by, current research and that students develop the
skills themselves to undertake research and apply it to their practice.
CriteriA
The course provider is required to demonstrate that:
academic sta use current research in teaching and learning1)
academic sta are actively engaged in research and scholarship2)
students strengthen their understanding o and ability to undertake nursing inquiry on all levels.3)
students strengthen their awareness o the ethics o research and o applying research to practice4)
students are encouraged to engage with a culture o nursing inquiry.5)
evidenCe guide
Criterion Examples o evidence that may be produced to demonstrate compliance with criterion.
Except where indicated with an (M) signiying mandatory, the Evidence Guide represents
suggestions only and the provider may demonstrate the criterion with reerence to
other means.
Description o current research relative to course teaching and learning approaches.1)
Description o processes o course development committees.
List o sta research activities, including publications (cross reerence with standard 6,2)
criterion 3). Teaching portolios.
Lesson plans/unit outlines identiying content ocused on or related to nursing inquiry3)
across the course.
Lesson plans/unit outlines identiying content ocused on or related to the ethics and4)
application o research across the course.
Student seminar series programs. Faculty research grants and activities. Departmental5)
stastudent orums.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
28/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 23
Standard 1
This broad standard underpins the standards that ollow it, establishing criteria or course governance that are
consistent with the principles established under the ANMCsNational Framework or the Accreditation o Nursing
and Midwiery Courses Leading to Registration, Enrolment, Endorsement and Authorisation in Australia. These
principles include:
> a commitment to the quality o proessional education and the assurance o graduate outcomes (criteria
on quality improvement, sta perormance and development, and equivalence across modes and sites
o delivery)
> inclusiveness and transparency (criteria on consultative approaches to course organisation and design)
> procedural airness (criteria or RPL)
> accountability (criterion on risk assessment and minimisation)
> eciency, demonstrated through avoiding duplication o the education sector quality assurance processes.
The ANMCsNational Framework or Accreditation Section 4.1Education Institutions states that:
Education institutions that are quality assured or accredited as institutions within their sector by recognised
agencies do not need to be separately accredited by the [Nursing and Midwiery Regulatory Authority] NMRA
Where a provider is not accredited or quality assured by such a recognised agency, such accreditation
or assurance should be sought beore an approach is made to the NMRA or proessional accreditation
o courses.
In accordance with the ramework, the standards mandate education provider accreditation under the qualityassurance accreditation processes o the education sector (universitiesAUQA) as a prerequisite or applying or
proessional course accreditation and dispensing with education provider standards.
The argument or mandating that courses must be oered by a university is articulated in the ANMC position
statement Registered nurse and midwie education in Australia.4 The denition o university, or the purposes
o this document, is those institutions listed as Australian universities on the AQF Register. Being listed on the
register indicates that the MCEETYA vouches or the quality o the institution; and which meet the requirements
o protocols A and D o the National Protocols or Higher Education Processes (2006), are established by
an Australian legislative instrument, as dened in Part 3 o theNational Protocols, and may include those
institutions that operate with a university college title or with a specialised university title, where they meet
these protocols. This ollows the ANMC position statement (2008) Registered nurse and midwie education
in Australia.5
4 ANMC (2008). Registered Nurse and Midwie Education in Australia. Available at: [Accessed: 2 June 2008].
5 Also Australian Qualications Framework Register: and the process o
higher education quality assurance: ; ANMC (2008) Registered Nurse and MidwieEducation in Australia, ollowing MCEETYA (2006).National Protocols or Higher Education Approval Processes, Protocol D,
Additional criteria, D1 and D2. Available at: [Accessed: 14 November 2007].
disCussion
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
29/4024 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
Collaboration and consultation among key stakeholders are important or inormed curriculum design,
good course organisation and the productive partnerships or sound placements that students need to gain
proessional experience. Research indicates that good partnerships between the education provider and health
service providers in organising placements or students contributes signicantly to a positive experience or the
student and leads to positive learning outcomes. A partnership can be considered good where communication
and inormationsharing systems between the education and health sectors are established, where there is
a shared vision o proessional experience, where respect is demonstrated across the two sectors, and where
approaches to care incorporate the communityutilising the consumers knowledge o their chronic conditions,
or instance to educate students.6
The necessity to ormalise the relationship between the education provider and the proessional experienceenvironment is articulated in the National Accreditation Standards or Registered Nurses.7 The standards or
the nurse practitioner adopt the same processes on this issue. The standard here on evidence o policies or the
development o such agreements should be read in conjunction with standard 8.
The criterion on policies or risk assessment and minimisation to determine suitable environments or students to
attain proessional experience also adopts the same rationale and processes as are ormulated in relation to the
ANMC National Accreditation Standards or Registered Nurses. This criterion should also be read in conjunction
with standard 8.
Recognition o prior learning is covered within the quality assurance processes the education provider has
undergone. The AQF has established national principles and models or RPL and these should be observed in
preparing an RPL policy.8 There is still an argument that proessional accreditation should mandate maximum
RPL in relation to nursing and midwiery in accord with the view that a minimum course length is necessaryto ensure adequate opportunity to gain the ull range o competency standards. Existing RPL policies rom the
NMRAs take varied approaches, hence the criterion on RPL stipulates that in addition to AQF compliance on RPL,
the provider must meet expected outcomes o the regulatory authorities.
Quality in crossborder education is an important and increasing concern and bodies including the International
Network or Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education and UNESCO have established guidelines and
codes o good practice to meet these concerns.9 In Australia, AUQAs own auditing mechanisms have been ound
to be in line with the UNESCO guidelines.10 This means that education providers with AUQA accreditatione.g.,
all universitieshave already met crossborder education quality assurance. New modes o education delivery
6 Nurses and Midwives Board o Western Australia. Clinical education or the uture project: Key elements or optimal
clinical learning experience or nurses and midwives. Available at: [Accessed: 9 October 2007]; also Judith Clare, Helen Edwards, Diane Brown and Jill White (2003). Evaluating Clinical
Learning Environments: Creating EducationPractice Partnerships and Clinical Education Benchmarks or Nursing.
Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Development in Major disciplines: Nursing Phase 2 Final Report. Australian Universities
Teaching Committee (AUTC). School o Nursing & Midwiery, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, on criteria that
indicate good partnerships or clinical learning.
7 ANMC (2009). Project to Develop Standards and Criteria or the Accreditation o Nursing and Midwiery Courses Leading to
Registration, Enrolment, Endorsement and Authorisation in Australia: Registered Nurses. Reerred to hereater as ANMC
National Accreditation Standards or Registered Nurses.
8 See AQF (2004).RPL national principles. Available at: [Accessed:
10 February 2008].
9 INQAAHE (2007). Guidelines o Good Practice. Available at: http://www.inqaahe.org/ [Accessed: 4 October 2007]; UNESCO
(2005). Guidelines or Quality Care Provision in Crossborder Higher Education. Available at: [Accessed: 7 January 2008]; UNESCO (2006). 10 UNESCO/APQN Toolkit: Regulating
the Quality o Crossborder Education. Bangkok. Available at: [Accessed: 7 January 2008].
10 David Woodhouse (2006). The Quality o Transnational Education: a provider view. Quality in Higher Education 12(3):
p 280.
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
30/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 25
such as elearning also place burdens on accreditation processes in terms o ensuring comparable quality
education. Given the conficting demands to allow or innovation and diversied approaches to teaching while
ensuring standardisation o graduate outcomes, at home and abroad, through traditional or new teaching
methods, one way to ensure course equivalence is by emphasising competencybased learning outcomes.11 For
proessional regulatory purposes, this ts with the proessions commitment to competency standards as the
means by which to assess a practitioners tness to practise. The criteria on equivalence o course outcomes in
standard 1, thereore, are based on the premise that no matter where or how the course is delivered, students
must meet the required graduate competency outcomes. This is consistent with the tenor o the Standards o Good
Practice Abroad (2008), developed by the Forum on Education Abroad, in which the benchmarks in the academic
ramework, or the award o credit, academic requirements o courses, and credit or internships or eld research
is that they are consistent with home institution standards.12
Standard 2
Australian NMRAs generally agree that the Head o Discipline and academic sta should be a registered nurse.13
The Framework provides the basis or the criterion that in crossdisciplinary teaching where the academic is not a
nurse, there should be evidence o relevance o qualications (Framework 4.2.8, note 15).
The criteria under standard 2 also aim to ensure there is expert proessional input to course development and that
sta have qualications at a level higher than or equal to the students they are educating. This is consistent with
some allied health proession accreditation standards. The Australian Pharmacy Council (2005)New Zealand
and Australian pharmacy schools accreditation committee Accreditation Criteria asks that a school have not less
than three continuing appointments in pharmacy or where not demonstration o how expert input or curriculum
development is to be assured; the Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia Inc 2003 indicates that the head
o unit should be a qualied chiropractor and that academic sta have qualications and experience well in
advance o the level at which they are teaching.14
The standard also aims or alignment o teaching sta and course delivery needs. Criterion 6 asks the education
provider to demonstrate this: to justiy sta selection relative to the demands o teaching the course to achieve
quality outcomes.
11 OECD (2003).Enhancing Consumer Protection in Crossborder Higher Education: Key Issues Related to Quality Assurance,
Accreditation and Recognition o Qualifcations, p. 17. Available at:
[Accessed: 7 January 2008].
12 Forum on Education Abroad (2008). Standards o Good Practice or Education Abroad. 3rd edition. Available at:
[Accessed: 28 October 2008].
13 National Nursing and Nursing Education Taskorce (2006).Nursing and Midwiery Legislation and Regulation Atlas. Available
at: [Accessed: 6 November 2007], 9.14.18 Hereater reerred
to in the text as Atlas.
14 Australian Pharmacy Council (2005).New Zealand and Australian pharmacy schools accreditation committee Accreditation
Criteria, p. 5. Available at: [Accessed: 10 June 2008]; Council onChiropractic Education Australasia Inc (2003). Standards or First Proessional Award Programs in Chiropractic. Available at:
[Accessed:
10 June 2008].
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
31/4026 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
Standard3
reCruitMent
The criteria on recruitment are designed to ensure that students are given adequate inormation to make
considered course selections, given their understanding o their personal circumstances, backgrounds and
learning styles. With respect to the criterion on regulatory authorities requirements or entry to practice, it is
important that students understand when making course selections that while completion o their course makes
them eligible to apply or registration or enrolment, endorsement or authorisation, regulatory authorities may
require additional evidence o tness to practise. The regulatory authorities requirements may be driven by
legislative requirements.
enrolMent
Equity and access issues have a clear place in education sectors quality assurance processes15, yet it is still
desirable that the proessional accreditation process emphasises this. Further discussion o this point is
provided in the Accreditation Standards or Registered Nurses. It should be noted that this does not negate the
undamental principle o ensuring that students are admitted have the ability to meet course requirements
which is the objective o the Admission Criteria described in this standard also. Most importantly, cultural saety
is a regulatory concern in terms o ensuring that nursing care is delivered saely and ethically. Cultural saety is
undamental to the protection o the publicprotection rom care that is not respectul o or in the interests o
the consumer.
suPPort
It is also important that the central point that the competency standards need to obtained by all graduates is
covered in relation to all issues. Standard 3 contains a criterion on the need to ensure access or all students,
regardless o background, to the acilities and support they need to attain those standards. It is related to, but not
entirely covered by, the criterion in standard 1 relating to providing sucient acilities and resources or graduate
competency standards to be met. The criterion in standard 3 asks or evidence that students with special equity
and access needs are provided or.
AdMission CriteriA
The 2004 ANMC Accreditation Standards or Nurse Practitioners, standard 1, rom the Gardner et al. Nurse
Practitioner Standards Report, orms the basis or admission criteria. In addition, urther requirements were
developed during this project covering the unique demands o the nurse practitioner role and considering some
existing and drat accreditation standards or nurse practitioner courses rom some NMRAs. In addition tominimum education and proessional experience requirements, the criteria require that the provider demonstrate
condence that students entering the course have adequate support (resources and role development) to
complete their proessional experience requirements o the course. Conrmation o this support may be in the
orm o a letter or statement rom the students employer or rom the student with corroborating testimony on the
means by which the support will be obtained.
Standard4
The 2004 ANMC Accreditation Standards or Nurse Practitioners indicates that a masters degree should be the
minimum education level. In the course o developing these standards, it was decided that the terminology used
to describe the degree should be Master o Nurse Practitioner Practice or something similar. This is dened in
15 Australian ViceChancellors Committee (2005). Universities and their Students: Principles or the Provision o Education by
Australian Universities. Available at: [Accessed: 10 January 2008].
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
32/40ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners 27
this document as: a Masters course approved by the regulatory authority that leads to registration, endorsement
or authorisation as a nurse practitioner in Australia.
In some jurisdictions, a second pathway wherein a completed masters degree in an area other than though
relevant to nurse practitioner practice is used as the basis to meet requirements or nurse practitioner
authorisation (or endorsement or registration), together with additional requirements stipulated by the NMRAs.
The second pathway currently operating in these jurisdictions would be able to continue under the transition
arrangements beyond the date o 2010 reerred to in the preamble. Thereater, the single pathway indicated above
will be the national standard.
The standard asks or evidence that the total length and structure o the course is sucient to achieve the
graduate competency outcomes, in keeping with the projects primary reliance on the ANMC national competency
standards as the measure o graduate competence.
Issues relating to the timing and length o proessional experience placements are included in this standard.
Issues relating to the nature and content o these placements are within standard 8. The view is that proessional
experience or clinical education in the health care context is vital or developing proessional competencies
remains prevalent.16
Standard 5
The 2004 ANMC Accreditation Standards or Nurse Practitioners, Standard 2 a and b, rom the Gardner et
al. Nurse Practitioner Standards Report, is incorporated respectively into this standard in criteria 1 and 8 onmapping the curriculum against the competency standards and on oering electives and specialisations.
The curriculum requirements aim to avoid being prescriptive, allowing or the education provider to exercise
innovation in course design and delivery. The requirements centre on ensuring that oundation skills and
knowledge are central to the curriculum; that proessional issues are addressed and that some specic issues
relating to the Australian context and its health priorities are represented. In relation to the requirement
that the curriculum addresses specically Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples health and culture
and incorporates the principles o cultural saety the standard is consistent withDadirri: A nursing guide to
improve Indigenous health, which recommends the inclusion o Indigenous history, culture and health in all
nursing curricula.17
In addition, national health priorities and contemporary issues in health care, such as chronic disease
selmanagement and mental health, are specically highlighted or inclusion. The importance o includingin health proessionals curricula chronic disease selmanagement is central to the encouraging active
patient selmanagement: education and training o health proessionals component o the Australian Better
Health Initiative and captured inA Capabilities Toolkit or Primary Health Care Proessionals: Supporting
Selmanagement.18 The report onMental Health in PreRegistration Nursing Courses makes the point that generic
mental health skills or all nurses are important, irrespective o where they work.19 While this report ocuses
on undergraduate curricula, students in nurse practitioner courses, working towards advanced practice level,
equally need to be equipped with skills in mental health that are commensurate with their scope o practice.
16 McGrath et al. (2006). Collaborative Voices, p. 47.
17 Indigenous Nurse Education Working Group (2004).Dadirri: A nursing guide to improve Indigenous health.
18 Australian Better Health Initiative. Available at: [Accessed: 5 February 2008]; Malcolm Battersby and Sharon Lawn (2008).A Capabilities Toolkit or
Primary Health Care Proessionals: Supporting Selmanagement, Flinders University.
19 Mental Health Education Taskorce (2008).Mental Health in PreRegistration Nursing Courses, Final Report, the Australian
Health Ministers Advisory Council, p. 9. Available at: [Accessed: 23 February 2009].
-
7/15/2019 ANMC Accreditation Standards - Nurse Practitioner
33/4028 ANMC National Accreditation Standards and CriteriaNurse Practitioners
The criterion that technology, including inormation technology (IT) and inormation management to support
health care, is integral to the curriculum refects the contemporary demands and opportunities o nursing and
healthcare delivery. This is supported by a project conducted by the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF),Nurses
and Inormation Technology Final Report(2007), which speaks o the need or national competency standards
in inormation technology and inormation management or nurses and a national competency program in
preregistration and preenrolment nursing courses based on such standards.20 A subsequent ANF project that
aims to establish a set o IT competency standards or nurses is in progress. The criterion captures the concept
o instruction in the use o technology in the service o healthcare delivery as well as in communication and
inormation management in relation to healthcare. It encompasses the idea o nursing and healthcare inormatics.
The ICN, ollowing the National Council o State Boards o Nursing, denes inormatics as inormation technology
that can be used to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision m