Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - Restriction: Re-entry to practice for nurses and midwives
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Restriction: Re-entry to practice for nurses and midwives

National Restrictions Library 2.0: This restriction applies to restictions imposed or accepted from 16 September 2024. For restrictions imposed or accepted before this date please see the National Restrictions Library 1.0.

Restriction description

A registered practitioner must supervise practitioners with this restriction. The supervisor must have the training, experience or qualifications needed provide the required supervision.

This type of restriction applies when the practitioner does not meet our registration standard for recency of practice. 

The practitioner must submit and follow a re-entry to practice plan stating:

  • where they will practise
  • how much supervised practice they will complete
  • how the supervisor will assess their competence.

We must approve the re-entry to practice plan to ensure that the nominated supervisor and locations will meet the requirements.

We monitor compliance by checking that the practitioner:

  • meets all required timeframes
  • is supervised as required 
  • completes the requirements in the re-entry to practice plan, including all supervised practice hours.

Full text of restriction

  1. From #start date#, the practitioner must not practise other than to undertake clinical training as part of an approved re-entry to practice program.
  2. Within 14 days of being provided with the approved form (SE-9), the practitioner must acknowledge that they have read and understood the requirements of this condition. 

Approved re-entry to practice program’ is defined as a program of study accredited by Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council and approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (the Board) as preparation for nurses for re-entry to the register after a lapse of practise and removal from the register for a period exceeding the requirement in the Recency of practice registration standard. It contains both a theoretical and a clinical experience component. 

Practise’ means any role, whether remunerated or not, in which the individual uses their skills and knowledge as a nurse/midwife. ‘Practise’ in this context is not restricted to the provision of direct clinical care. It also includes using professional knowledge (working) in a direct non-clinical relationship with clients, working in management, administration, education, research, advisory, regulatory or policy development roles, and any other roles that impact on the safe, effective delivery of services in nursing and/or midwifery.

 

You will receive a monitoring plan that details contact information, due dates, and the information you will need to provide to show that you are complying with your restrictions.

Forms

Please contact your case officer for more information. 

For general information see our Frequently asked questions about Monitoring and compliance page

If you have not yet received contact details for your case officer, please email your enquiry.

We are here to support and guide you through your compliance. 

The contact details for your case officer are included on all our correspondence with you.

We also encourage you to use independent support services, including those provided on our Practitioner support services page.

You can also contact your legal representative or professional union to support you.

You must not commence practise or recommence practise until after we have assessed and approved your Re-entry to Practice Plan and the fact of the approval has been published on the public register. We will consider any practise in these circumstances a breach of the restrictions and may take further regulatory action, even if your nominated supervisor is subsequently approved. 

Generally, we will provide a further opportunity to address any shortfalls in the application. 

If you do not have an approved Re-entry to Practice Plan, and/or the approval has not been published on the public register you must cease practise and must not recommence practise until such times as the approval of a supervisor has been published on the public register. 

You should provide evidence of discontinuation to us. You will be required to submit a new Re-entry to practice plan. If you had an alternate supervisor also approved, you will be able to continue to practise while your new plan is assessed.

You must contact your case officer or team as soon as possible if you have had a change of circumstances or are unable to comply with the requirements for any reason. See your monitoring plan for contact information.

You may be able to apply for a change in your restrictions, or an extension of the timeframe to complete the requirement for supervision. Circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis.

 
 
 
Page reviewed 13/09/2024