DGD12-052
Policy
Nurses: Employment of Overseas Qualified
Policy Statement
The Health Directorate provides an Overseas Qualified Nurse Program (OQNP) for
internationally Registered Nurses who are not eligible for Australian registration under the
national registration standards.
Purpose
All internationally registered nurses working in Australia are required to be registered with
the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).
The OQNP is accredited by the NMBA and is designed to ensure that suitably qualified nurses
are competent and integrated safely into the healthcare workforce of the Health
Directorate.
On successful completion of the OQNP the Health Directorate notifies the NMBA and the
nurse is then considered for Australian registration against the registration standards by the
NMBA.
This policy and its standard operating procedure (SOP) provide guidelines for the process of
application, acceptance, program requirements, clinical placement and further employment,
implementation and evaluation of the OQNP across the Health Directorate. This is, in line
with the stated goals of the Health Directorate, and in accordance with the National
Registration Scheme, effective from 1 July 2010.
Scope
This policy applies to all:
 Managers considering an application for employment from a nurse who has been
educated for the purposes of registration in a country that is not mutually recognised by
the NMBA, according to current registration standards
 Clinical Nurse Consultants (CNCs) and staff of the clinical environment that facilitate
learning opportunities for the participants of the OQNP
 Nurses participating in the OQNP and
 OQNP coordinator(s).
This policy does not apply to international midwives.
Doc Number
DGD12-052
Version
1.1
Issued
Sept 2012
Review Date
Sept 2015
Area Responsible
PSSB
Page
1 of 3
DGD12-052
Evaluation
Outcome Measures
 100% of eligible candidates for the overseas qualified nurse program are given the
opportunity to participate.
Method
 Participant evaluation
 Work area evaluation
 Data presented in the Health Directorate annual report
 Stakeholder meetings with representatives from across the Health Directorate
and ACT region, occur twice yearly. At the stakeholders meetings curriculum
changes are endorsed and program outcomes are discussed to ensure that the
program is meeting organisational needs clarification of the role of the
stakeholders meeting required.
 Program content is reviewed annually and reports are sent to the Nursing and
Midwifery Board of Australia by the SDU as required under the terms of the
accreditation.
 Evaluation recommendations and outcomes are incorporated into the programs
annually.
Related Legislation
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Competency Standards
www.anmac.org.au
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (ACT) Act 2010
www.legislation.act.gov.au
Health Professional Act 2004
www.legislation.act.gov.au
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
www.nursingandmidwiferyboard.gov.au
Public Sector Management Act 1994
www.legislation.act.gov.au
Department of Immigration and Citizenship Australia
immi.gov.au/immigration
Nurses: Employment of Overseas Qualified Standard Operating Procedure
Definition of Terms
Overseas qualified nurse and/or midwife
An internationally educated and qualified nurse and/or midwife is a person who has
completed an educational program for the purpose of registration to practice a nurse
or midwife in a place outside Australia.
Doc Number
DGD12-052
Version
1.1
Issued
Sept 2012
Review Date
Sept 2015
Area Responsible
PSSB
Page
2 of 3
DGD12-052
Overseas Qualified Nurse Program (OQNP)
The OQNP of the Health Directorate is accredited by the Board and managed by the
Staff Development Unit (SDU) of the Health Directorate. The OQN program includes
the requirement to complete a series of self directed learning packages and a twelve
week unpaid clinical placement. The participants of the program are assessed against
the ANMC Competencies Standards for Registered Nurses.
Registration standards: define the requirements that applicants, registrants or
students need to meet to be registered and are determined by the NMBA.
Student Registration: nurses whose registration has lapsed and do not meet the
recency for practice standard, maybe eligible for student registration with AHPRA,
allowing them to enrol/complete a Re-entry Program conducted by an accredited
provider such as the Health Directorate.
Registration: is granted at the discretion of Australian Nursing and Midwifery Board,
several categories of registration may continue to coexist for a period of after the
Australian National scheme of registration took effect on July 1 2010, as the National
Registration scheme will honour all registrations for a period of three years post the
national scheme taking effect.
Student Deed: an agreement between Health Directorate and an individual who has sought
the co-operation of the Health Directorate in providing access to facilities and clients of the
Health Directorate for the purpose of providing the Trainee with opportunities to enable him
or her to obtain practical clinical experience to obtain or maintain registration in Australia, or
to update existing qualifications.
References
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council Limited (ANMC) Competencies Standards for
Nurses and Midwives. www.anmc.org.au
Disclaimer: This document has been developed by Health Directorate, Staff Development Unit, specifically for its
own use. Use of this document and any reliance on the information contained therein by any third party is at
his or her own risk and Health Directorate assumes no responsibility whatsoever.
Doc Number
DGD12-052
Version
1.1
Issued
Sept 2012
Review Date
Sept 2015
Area Responsible
PSSB
Page
3 of 3