National

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency ((AHPRA) will now be the national administration body for the 10 health professions, including nursing. They assumed regulatory powers from 1st July from State Nursing Boards, such as the Nursing Board of Victoria. As a fait accompli in the process of standardizing professional practice in Australia some divisions of nursing and qualifications will go by the board. There will no longer be recognition of additional qualifications for mental health or maternal & child health nurses. Division Two nurses who went through demanding training and examination to qualify as medication endorsed nurses, will not be acknowledged, and will have their titles down-graded to enrolled nurse - the same as non-medication qualified nurses. Modern nurses cry out for recognition amidst scholarly authorities who do claim a rightful place within the titled professions. However, nurses have failed to uphold professional respect, allowing bureaucrats to strip off their hard earned qualifications and relevant titles without protest. I, for one, find insult and will seek qualification in another area of employment at 53, and after 20 years of nursing. Should anyone enquire about nursing as a form of employment, I will do my utmost to dissuade them!