http://kalatas.com.au/2013/05/09/registration-of-nurses-with-limited-experience/
<b>Registration of nurses with limited experience
by Atty. Jessie Icao</b>
Can a Filipino registered nurse with one year work experience in the Philippines apply for registration as a nurse in Australia? Theoretically not. The framework for assessment for recognition of nurses set by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) requires, among others, that the nurse must have practiced within the past five years.
Normally, nursing graduates from the Philippines with limited experience will study Bachelor of Nursing to become a nurse in Australia. But recently, two nurses from Bacolod with less than a year of working experience applied for assessment with AHPRA with the aim of getting a referral to take the assessment of competence program instead of studying nursing again in Australia.
At the first instance, AHPRA denied the application of the two nurses on the following grounds:
a. The degree of the nurses is not an approved qualification as it was obtained overseas; and
b. The applicants’ degrees are not substantially equivalent to an approved qualification set by the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW).
AHPRA’s stand is for the applicants to take an Australian bachelor degree and apply for credits of subjects taken in the Philippines.
The two nurses appealed on their own to the Nursing and Midwifery Tribunal and in February 2013, I volunteered to assist them with their submissions to the Tribunal.
My contention to the Tribunal is that in assessing the nursing qualification of the nurses, the Board will be guided by the qualification assessment undertaken by the Australian International (AEI)-NOOSR Country Education Profile for the Philippines. I also asserted that the assessment guidelines of AEI-NOOSR on the alma mater of the nurses, indicated that their Bachelor Degree in Nursing is comparable to a Bachelor Degree in Australia provided it is a four or five years of full time study and they have evidence of passing the Nursing Board examination administered by the Professional Regulation Commission.
The case was adjourned for a month for the Board to consider our contention as a new assessment application. In April 2013, the Board considered our contention and agreed to refer the nurses to an approved bridging course. This saved the nurses thousands of dollars in tuition fees.
The ramification of this recent case is that it would be possible now for nursing graduates from the Philippines who passed the Nursing Board examination with less than five years experience to seek registration and be given referral to undergo approved bridging course. In New South Wales, the College of Nursing in Burwood conducts bridging course which consists of 150 hours of lecture session and clinical skills practice and 160 hours of clinical placements at the cost of $10,000.00.
Another important requirement for the assessment with AHPRA and competence bridging program assessment is satisfactory completion of the International English Language Testing (IELTS), academic module with a minimum score of 7.0 in all four components of or Occupation English Test (OET) with grades of A or B only in each of the four components.
<i>For those who require all aspects of immigration issues, this writer provides free initial consultation. He can be contacted at 0412 269 439 or email atjessieicao1@gmail.com
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<i> Jessie Icao is a practicing solicitor in New South Wales and registered migration agent since 1993 (MARN 9367993). He is admitted as a lawyer in the Philippines. The information provided is of general nature and cannot be relied in its entirety. I suggest that you consult a registered migration agent or refer to the relevant law.</i>