Standing Committee on Employment, Education
and Workplace Relations
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Submission 37
RESPONSE TO THE INQUIRY INTO THE APPROPRIATE ROLES OF INSTITUTES OF
TECHNICAL AND FURTHER EDUCATION
The Nurses Board of South Australia has prepared this submission for
the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education
and Training. The Nurses Board of South Australia has a legislative responsibility
under the Nurses Act (1984) to ensure the South Australian community has
access to nursing care of the highest standard of conduct and competence.
This submission reflects the Nurses Board's commitment to ensuring safe,
competent and ethical standards of nursing care
Point 1 - The appropriate roles of Institutes of technical and further
education
Nurses play a critical role in meeting the health needs of Australian
society.
Increasingly, the community expects nurses to provide high quality
care In a complex environment characterised by increasing consumer expectations,
reduced resources and increasing technology (Duckett 1995).
Statutory regulation of the nursing profession requires nurses to complete
educational preparation for practice as a registered or enrolled nurse.
Universities are responsible for the educational preparation of registered
nurses. institutes of Technical and Further Education (TAPE) prepare
Enrolled Nurses.
TAFE in South Australia has been responsible for educating enrolled
nurses for a relatively short period. However the quality of the graduates
being recommended to the Nurses Board for enrolment suggests TAFE is
an appropriate education provider. Enrolled Nurses graduating from TAFE
are able to demonstrate, through integrating contemporary nursing theory
and practice, the Australian Nursing Council Inc competencies for enrolled
nurses.
The articulation of the Community Services (aged care) Certificate
IV with the enrolled nurse program ensures graduates' employment in
the growing aged care and community sectors.
To increase portability of Enrolled Nurse qualifications across State
and Territory boundaries, It would be preferable for TAPE to offer enrolment
from a national curriculum. There are currently vast variations in content
and length in the TAPE programs leading to enrolment across Australia.
While the Mutual Recognition Act (1 99~) should address cross state
recognition, it would seem appropriate for an organisation such as TAFE
to initiate a consistent national program.
Point 2 - The extent to which those. roles should overlap with universities
As nursing registration is based on a tiered system there needs to
be recognition of prior learning in order for nurses to advance professionally
from one tier to the other. On these grounds the articulation between
the universities Bachelor of Nursing programs and the TAFE Community
Services (aged care) Certificate IV is critical
This issue is significant when discussing exit points for Bachelor
of Nursing students requesting status within the Community Services
(aged care) Certificate IV in order to qualify for enrolment.
From a national perspective and in the interest of mutual recognition
of qualifications, It is important that there is consistency in the
articulation between universities and TAFE.
REFERENCES
Duckett S (1995) Future directions: government strategies for improving
quality.
Address to Consumer's Health Forum National Conference on Consumers and
Quality, 7th November 1995. Commonwealth Department of Human Services
and Health.
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