Cassandra Dickens, Thoracic Malignancies Clinical Nurse Consultant, Sunshine Coast University Hospital
QLD State Representative, ANZ-LCNF Steering Committee
Recently endorsed Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioners are registered nurses with the experience, knowledge and authority to diagnose and treat people of all ages with a variety of acute or chronic health conditions.1 A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice nurse, endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), who has direct clinical contact and practises within their scope under the legislatively protected title, ‘nurse practitioner’, under the National Law.2 The nurse practitioner scope of practice is built on the platform of the registered nurse scope of practice and must meet the regulatory and professional requirements for Australia including the; NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, Safety and Quality Guidelines for Nurse Practitioners, Code of Conduct for Nurses and International Council of Nurses’ Code of Ethics for Nurses.3 Australian oncology nurse practitioners can practice across a variety of settings including;
- Public or private services.
- Across rural, regional, and/or metropolitan areas.
- Inpatient and outpatient settings.
- Managing adult and paediatric patients.
- Medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, malignant haematology and palliative care settings and specialities.
To be endorsed as a nurse practitioner, each individual must demonstrate all of the following:2
1. Current general registration as a registered nurse in Australia with no conditions or undertakings on registration relating to unsatisfactory professional performance or unprofessional conduct.
2. The equivalent of three years’ (5,000 hours) full-time experience in the advanced clinical nursing practice level, within the past six years, from the date when the complete application seeking endorsement as a nurse practitioner is received by the NMBA.
3. Successful completion of:
- an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement as a nurse practitioner, or
- a program that is substantially equivalent to an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement as a nurse practitioner as determined by the NMBA.
4. Compliance with the NMBA’s Nurse Practitioner Standards for Practice.
The following universities have current NMBA approved post-graduate nurse practitioner programs of study:1
| State/Territory | University | Course |
| NT | Charles Darwin University | Master of Clinical Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) |
| NSW | University of Sydney | Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) |
| NSW | University of Newcastle | Master of Nurse Practitioner |
| NSW | University of Technology Sydney | Master of Nurse Practitioner |
| NSW | Western Sydney University | Master of Nurse Practitioner (Mental Health) |
| QLD | Queensland University of Technology | Master of Nurse Practitioner |
| QLD | University of Queensland | Master of Nurse Practitioner |
| SA | Flinders University | Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) |
| SA | University of South Australia | Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) |
| VIC | La Trobe University | Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) |
| VIC | Monash University | Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) |
| VIC | University of Melbourne | Master of Advanced Nursing Practice (Nurse Practitioner) |
| WA | Edith Cowan University | Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) |
For a current list of all levels of nursing approved courses, please visit AHPRA at https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Accreditation/Approved-Programs-of-Study.aspx
The Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA) also has a Cancer Nurse Practitioners Specialist Practice Network (CNP SPN) that aims to bring together Endorsed NPs, NP Candidates, and those undertaking study towards NP Endorsement.4
For further information and to hear from experienced nurse practitioners, please watch our on demand ANZ-LCNF July webinar on nurse practitioners at: https://anzlcnf.lungfoundation.com.au/events/
References:
1. Australian College of Nurse Practitioners. (2022). What is a nurse practitioner? https://www.acnp.org.au/aboutnursepractitioners
2. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). (2019). Guidelines: For nurses applying for endorsement as a nurse practitioner. https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Codes-Guidelines/Guidelines-on-endorsement-as-a-nurse-practitioner.aspx
3. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). (2020). Nurse practitioner standards for practice. https://www.ahpra.gov.au/documents/default.aspx?record=WD21%2f30761&dbid=AP&chksum=xdi7RHeXbB7YyopbEfd6ag%3d%3d
4. Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA). (2022). Cancer Nurse Practitioners. https://www.cnsa.org.au/memberbenefitsandservices/specialist-practice-networks-spns/cancer-nurse-practitioner-specialist-practice-network-spn