Nurse Practitioner in Australia?

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Hello! I am studying to be an NP in the US right now and was thinking about moving to Australia and working there as an NP. Does anyone know what the process is for a US educated NP to work there? Are new grad NPs accepted? I realize that i would have to study the healthcare system there and learn some new policies etc..but other than that, what is the process to be an NP there? Would I still register with Australian Board of Nursing and Midwifery as a nurse as well as nurse practitioner? Is the prospects good for finding NP jobs?

Thank you!

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To be an NP in Australia one must be an experienced RN first then you do post grad in your specialty and a NP masters or a specialty masters.I have no idea how AHPRA will assess NP 's with no advanced full time nursing experience of at least 3 years. AHPRA regulates most professions here in Australia.

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Yeah it looks like the pathway to being an NP in Australia is a little bit different than here in the US. There is no minimum RN experience requirement here to be in NP school. When I graduate in July I will have a Masters in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner. I really hope and pray that I will be able to work in Australia as an NP..may be I can work there as an RN while I try and get my NP registration. I should may be ask the AHPRA about these questions?

Thank you so much for your response! Please let me know if there are websites I can research to know more about what I need to do/be aware of to be an NP there.

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Specializes in CTICU.

Call AHPRA - noone knows how they will handle overseas NPs yet. You definitely would need to register as an RN as well because an advanced practice nurse needs to maintain RN license, either in the US or in Australia. I am an Aussie RN who has completed my MSN-ACNP in the US so I'll be glad to hear anything you find out since I plan to go home one day.

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In my school one has to have RN experience to apply for NP program.

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I was in contact with the vp of the nurse practitioner college (not the correct name I forget it). But he told me that you could do it a couple ways, I had the same idea, like everything if you have money you can apply to an australian uni and transfer all your course work and get a aussy degree. Second will take time, you have to get eval thru the registry and that can take a year. So if you do the math, I'd research it a little more, but with loss wages I'd try to apply to a uni there and complete it that way.

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One cannot apply to a university to do a Master in Nurse Practitioner unless you have at least 3 years experience in advanced nurse practise in your specialty.

AHPRA will not endorse you as Nurse Practitioner even if you do not have the experience first. Well, that was last weeks regs.

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The equivalent of three (3) years’ full-time experience in an advanced practice nursing role within the previous six (6) years

from date of lodgement of application.

The applicant must also meet the Board’s registration standard on recency of practice.

Advanced practice defines a level of nursing practice that utilises extended and expanded skills, experience and knowledge in the assessment, planning, implementation, diagnosis and evaluation of [nursing] care required. Nurses practising at this level are educationally prepared at postgraduate level and may work in a specialist or generalist capacity. However, the basis of advanced practice is the high degree of knowledge, skill and experience applied in the nurse-patient/client relationship to achieve optimal outcomes through critical analysis, problem solving and accurate decision-making.2

Completion of a Board-approved nurse practitioner program of study at Master’s level or equivalent as determined by the Board.

The Board has two pathways that fulfill the education requirements for endorsement as a nurse practitioner. They are:

Pathway 1

Evidence of successful completion of an Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)-accredited and Board-approved nurse practitioner program of study at Master’s level.

Board-approved programs of study are listed on the Board’s website at Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Accreditation.

Pathway 2

Evidence of successful completion of:

1. a program of study at Master’s level that is clinically relevant to the applicant’s context of advanced practice nursing for which they are seeking endorsement as a nurse practitioner; and

2. supplementary education that will demonstrate equivalence and meet the National Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner.

The National Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner are listed on the Board’s website at: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Codes, Guidelines and Statements.

Compliance with the

National Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner.

The National Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner is one of a suite of competency standards developed as part of a Professional Practice Framework by ANMAC and subsequently approved by the Board.

An applicant who has successfully completed a Board-approved nurse practitioner program of study at Master’s level is not required to provide further evidence of compliance with the National Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner.

An applicant who has not completed a Board-approved nurse practitioner program of study at Master’s level will be required to provide evidence of compliance with the National Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner.

These competency standards are listed on the Board’s website at: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Codes, Guidelines and Statements.

Compliance with the Board’s standard for registration standard on continuing professional development.

An applicant will be required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of continuing professional development relevant to their context of practice each year and may be required to provide this evidence on application.

My bad I don't have the ahpra's standards memorized by once you satisfy the experience guideline, the schooling you can do as I said, see the two different pathways... It's a faster route to have the universities transfer the credit and then you'll have an aussy degree as well. I'm not saying I know it all i was giving helpful hints to like minded people... American health system is ass backwards much like most things here its profit driven and there's no money in healthy people. So sorry if we're all too eager to practice somewhere else.

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Don't get too excited, that's what is happening here. All managements over the past few years are always talking of change management, and work on the business model as the government ducks and weaves with funding so do they. So something a service that is popular one year and then is not so patronised the next looses funding by the executive even if it is part of the health reform, like anti smoking, diabetes, or paeds, - policy of the government, the executive will still reduce that service and channel the money to something else that will look innovative attract more funding and most likely totally not suited to the community.

Sorta like removing stock from a store floor if its not earning its keep.

A a nurse practitioner in Australia is a well respected position and is looked on by our profession as to be a person that is highly experienced in their field.

What I was referring to, as all the universities criteria for the Masters in a Nurse Practitioner is 3 years as an advanced practise nurse first before they accept you, I would in the name of equality, believe this would be the same for an overseas applicant, credits or not.

Good luck, would be interesting to see if Overseas applicants are treated differently from Australian applicants for NP.

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Never once did I reign in an arragont mannor of a superior American... I simply said once you satisfy the criteria and so forth. What I am referring to is the wait, which I have been told can be a long time while ahpra evaluates your overseas degree, simply apply to a uni and have them eval and I personally will take some classes for aboriginal cultural care, rural care and some other classes I saw that looked intriguing that aren't necessarily focused on here in the USA. So I hope the NPs are held to as high of a standard as they are over here. It's the PAs you have to watch out for, remember we're all on the same team... I'm just relaying info that was given to me from my contact at the australian college of nurse practitioners, I checked and thats where he was from so excuse me.

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Hi Ceridwyn, did u apply for your NP registration with AHPRA? I am studying FNP in the US right now and my sister is a RN in Sydney and she keeps telling me to move there. I'd like to know what the process is like for NPs. What was your experience? Like others mentioned, the whole AHPRA process is so tedious, I got my eligibility letter for my RN registration and then has to be there in person but I could afford the ticket so ended up withdrawing my app. Hope its easier as an NP.

Thanks and good luck!

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For me to be or even apply for canditure for NP I have to working in my specialised area as an advanced practise nurse for at least 3 years.

I do not think other Australian NP would be too happy if my NP degree from overseas was excepted and I was practising NP with no NP experience, when other educated Australian NP have been RN for years and have a wealth of experience, so no not N

P but a lowly RN. :) Have you worked in your specialty for 3 years full time as an advanced practiise RN first before going on to study NP?

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