Ahpra application refusal

World Registration

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Hi everyone,

I´m a registered nurse from Germany with 4 years experience. Went to the whole registration process with ahpra and waited 7 months. Today I received an email, that they are considering to refuse my application. The reason for that is, that they do not consider my training as equivalent with the Australian one. That is really a joke. Has someone ever been in this situation before? How did you write your appeal letter?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Each country will have their own requirements on what they deem as equivalent to their training. Is your training up to/or BSN. You could write an appeal letter stating your training in depth and what clinical experience you received

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Do you have university degree or is your qualification through a vocational - work as a student nurse in a hospital then sit a state exam. Does your qualification have research subjects? Did you complete the 5 years of secondary education?

If you got your qualification through the vocational system, work as student strictly in hospital system and theory also given there as Australian nurses did till 1990 it was eventually phased out, this might be the problem.

Though, just appeal, everyone gets accepted in Australia.

All the AHPRA sites seem to have different ideas in each state and no rules seem to be uniform across all the state offices of AHPRA when it comes to assessment.

Explain your experience in the past 4 years.

Those that report back, report they are accepted after appeal.

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In Germany, we have only a vocational school of nursing.You go to school and work in the hospital. In that way, you have the chance to get a lot of practical experience. We do have a Bachelor for nursing management and nursing education, but not for clinical nurses. Yes, we do have nursing research subjects in our training.It´s ridiculous, because a classmate of mine got her registration in Darwin with only 3 months experience. I don`t know how they can work this way. And the framework from anmc says, that all trainings from the Eu with the Eu directive 2005/36 are considered as equivalent to the Australian training. So when you say they got accepted after appeal, do you mean they got registration or were eligible for the bridging course??? Are you registered with ahpra ceridwyn? Somethings I think, everthing depends on how many Australian nurses they have at the moment. It`s just making money.

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The posters needed to do bridging program, they just got the okay that if this was completed they would then be eligble for registration.

UK nurses are registered with AHPRA as RN's even though educated into specialties right away ie: mental health, adult, childrens, disability, with no conditions at all, just like an Australian nurse as a generalist, with the hope that if employed, will only be employed in their specialisations and they will only work within their scope of practise, which I believe plays to the 'mother country past history etc'' but who knows if this happens or not. Unfortunately the priviledge is not recipricated to Australian educated nurses. The UK comes under this EU thingy.

Other nurses come from countries where their nursing degrees are mixed up with other degrees and claim a 4 year nursing degree and some report only having done a year of nursing subjects and they get registered and also have been educated at some obscure education institution.

As I said, Appeal with your reasons why you believe you deserve registration and you will receive the registration I am sure, without a bridging program. AHPRA seem so ununiform? (is that a word) between the different state offices. Your appeal will be seen by different assessors and therefore will be a different result.

Has nothing to do with how many Australian nurses are registered. Looks good to the pollies and the Australian public, if they seem to have copious amounts registered, locally educated or not. Reports come out every so often bragging about the percentage increase every few months. Though the breakdown on how many are local and from overseas does not seem to be readily shown.

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Do you think it´s better to write the letter on my own or use a lawyer who is specialized on nursing registration?

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Is a lawyer in Germany going to do a better job of writing an appeal to a nursing board in another country?

Do not think others have used lawyers.

Have they given you the reasons why? Argue your reasons that your education and experience is on a par with every criteria that APHRA have for overseas educated nurses.

Its up to you, Can you do that? Personally I think its possible and better if it comes from you. That shows that you understand the criteria for an Australian nurse and acknowledge that you believe and argue that your education and experience gives you the right to be considered favourably and would be a safe practitioner in Australia...if you can find the work....but thats another story.

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Hey Pusteblume.

I can not believe!

The exact same happened to me.

I am an Austrian graduated nurse with more than 4 years experience, and APHRA refused me my registration.

Then I appealed the decision based on the fact the we are taught under this certain EU directive (2005/36/EC) and they came

back to me again with another refused, based on the fact that it is not a bachelor degree. *****

seriously, i dont know what to do anymore. i am more than desperate and i even consider going home based on this fact.

i was wondering if you had any luck?

it would be very appreciated if you could let me know how you went...

fingers crossed!

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Hi nicty,

my decision will be made tomorrow. It will take another week or so until I get the result. Where are you in Australia. I'm in Brisbane. Did you apply to Ahpra in Brisbane as well? If you want you can write my in German to my email adress: [email protected]

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Specializes in Cath Lab.

Hi,

sounds like I'm not the only European-trained nurse getting frustrated with APHRA. I received a letter from APHRA stating the my education in RN wasn't based on similar competencies to a Board approved course. So they think I should take the bridging program. Like many others I don't have more than $10.000 lying around just to spend on another degree.

I have even done 8 weeks of clinical training in Australia as part of my nursing degree. Why do I need more clinical training in Australia??

My Danish Bachelor degree is under the EU directive 2005/36 and thus should be eligible for registration in Australia. I have since dealt with APHRA regarding an appeal. Apparently I have to compare the Australian standards to the EU directive.

I was just wondering if anybody else has had experience with writing an appeal to APHRA (in my case NSW) and had success with it?? I don't have the money to undergo such an expensive bridging program and its making me so sad that this might kill my dream of living in Australia.

Any tips, anything would be much appreciated. I have until 31st October 2013 to make an appeal. When i have asked APHRA to tell me exactly which criteria I have failed to meet - they are unable to answer me...it's so frustrating.

Hope to hear from someone with a success story :)

Lisbeth

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Hi everybody,

I am a registered nurse from Greece. I hold a 4 year bachelor degree (in accordance to the EU directive/2005/36) and more than 5 years experience from a public general hospital. I lodged my application on 15 Mar 2013 (VIC). We had a month delay bacause I had to provide them with some additional documents from Greece. I just received yesterday 26/8 the outcome. The NMBA refuses my registration unless I undergo a bridging program. After a short communication with the registration officer I found out that my bachelor degree is Ok for the Australian standards, but I do not have 2 years experience in a C1 country. This is the first time, after one year and a half searching AHPRA and NMBA sites, that I hear this requirement!!It was not in the application form and still cannot find it anywhere. Also I found out that this restriction is written in a DRAFT proposed to the NMBA. So it is not a law or an other official paper.

Of course i am going to appeal. Does anybody have a similar experience? What do you think are my chances with my appeal?

Thank you and I wish good luck to us all!

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Hi ceridwyn,

I just posted my experience with AHPRA. Do you happen to know people that actually had a positive outcome after they appealed? It would be really helpful If you shared with us any details you might are aware of. And I would really appreciate your opinion about my case.

Thanks

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