University of Tasmania, Australia

Student Registration

All students enrolling in University of Tasmania School of Nursing and Midwifery (SNM) Bachelor of Nursing and Graduate Diploma of Midwifery programs are required, under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009, to register with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Under the National Law, the role of AHPRA is to:

• register students;
• maintain a Student Register that is not publicly available;
• deal with notifications about students:
  • whose health is impaired to such a degree that there may be a substantial risk of harm to the public; or
  • who have been charged with an offence, or have been convicted or found guilty of an offence which is punishable by 12 months imprisonment;

• who have or may have contravened a condition of the students registration or an undertaking given by students to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

The University is authorised and required to collect and provide this information to AHPRA under s88 of the National Law (page 92). The University Student Centre will provide information as required of students enrolling in the Bachelor of Nursing and Graduate Diploma pf Midwifery programs to AHPRA for registration and entry on the AHPRA Student Register database.

Regulatory Compliance

The University also has responsibilities in relation to the mandatory reporting of students who have an impairment that may place the public at substantial risk of harm. These are detailed in s143 of the National Law (page 139).

The SNM, through the implementation of the Health Science Safety in Practice Kit, fulfils the "mandatory reporting" requirements relating to:

• Health Practitioner Regulation National Law;
• University Safe to Practice Policy; and
• Health Science Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct

Student Regulatory Compliance Procedure

The in-text page numbers below refer to the Health Science Safety in Practice Kit.

Students undertaking School of Nursing & Midwifery courses are required to establish their capacity to safely undertake a list of Mandatory Functional Requirements.

Students:

• are provided with regulatory compliance check information sessions from SNM in week 1 of semester 1 of study; and
• must complete the following no later than end of week 4 of of your first semester of study (unless otherwaie specified):
• • Download and complete a Bachelor of Nursing or Postgraduate Midwifery Stream Safety in Practice Agreement Form, which includes agreement to adhere to the Health Science Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct (p23);
    Bachelor of Nursing
  • • Safety in Practice Agreement Form
  • Postgraduate
    • Safety in Practice Agreement Form - Midwifery Stream
  • Obtain a National Police Record Certificate in accordance with the Health Science National Police History Record Check Guidelines and Procedures (p31); and

• submit both documents to the SNM Professional Experience Placement Coordinator at your campus.

This documentation is viewed by the SNM Director of Professional Experience (or delegate), with two possible outcomes:

• All students who establish their capacity to practise safely are deemed eligible to fully participate in the Nursing and Midwifery programs with access to laboratories, workplace simulation environments and undertake professional experience placements.

• The Health Science Professional Practice Review Panel reviews the documentation of any student identified as having a medical, physical or psychological impairment or criminal record that may place the public at risk of harm.
  
  Where a student is found likely to place the public at substantial risk of harm, the Faculty of Health Science notifies AHPRA, who assess the student's documentation via the AHPRA Notification Process.
  
  This can result in change of the student's registration status (i.e. reasonable adjustment and support in practice or deregistration) by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.