Nurses and midwives have until 31 May to renew their registration. It’s also a good time to review the Registration Standards at Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Don’t leave registration renewal to the last minute, as you could incur late fees. You may also need time to seek advice on declarations. In particular, ANMF strongly encourages members to contact the Branch before declaring or disclosing health condition/impairment information as part of the registration/renewal process.
Don’t forget: as part of the process, nurses and midwives must confirm they hold required PII arrangements. ANMF full financial membership includes PII* that meets AHPRA requirements. You can download your PII certificate from the member portal: members.anmfvic.asn.au.
Still have questions? We’ve got you covered!
I’m new to the profession. Do I still have to renew my registration by 31 May?
Yes. Registration is renewed annually by this date regardless of how long you were registered during the previous 12 months. So if you received your registration in late 2023 or early 2024 you must still renew your registration by 31 May – with one exception: graduates who registered in the two months prior to the 31 May annual renewal date.
These graduates are registered to practise until 31 May of the following year, but please check your renewal date on the register at nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au, and contact the ANMF if you remain unsure as to when your renewal is due.
How many hours of practice do I need to demonstrate ‘recency of practice’?
Nurses and midwives must complete a minimum of 450 hours of practice in the preceding five years to meet the NMBA recency of practice standard. Those who hold dual registration must make separate recency of practice declarations. Consider the relevant competency and registration standards for each profession as there may and will be common elements of work and education.
If you are unsure as to whether you meet this standard, seek ANMF advice well ahead of 31 May.
What if I am a new graduate nurse/midwife?
Recency of practice obligations do not apply to you if your qualification was awarded not more than two years prior to the date of your application. It is likewise not applicable for student registration holders.
What if I am a non-practising registrant?
This is not a requirement of a non-practising registrant, however ANMF strongly encourages you to seek advice before moving to a non-practising registration.
Can I practise if I have a health condition or impairment?
In most instances, yes you can.
Nurses and midwives are only required to declare impairments that detrimentally affect, or are likely to detrimentally affect, your capacity to practise the profession. If you have a medical condition that is managed and does not meet this threshold, then you are not required to declare this as an impairment.
AHPRA provides the following examples that would not require a declaration on impairment:
- wearing prescription glasses to correct your vision or hearing aids to correct your hearing
- seeing a psychologist for anxiety and following a treatment plan.
If you remain unsure of the obligation to notify then please contact ANMF member assistance for advice.
How many hours of CPD do I need?
Nurses and midwives are required to complete a minimum of 20 CPD hours per registration period (each year), that is relevant to your practice, and to keep record of this. If you hold a nursing and a midwifery registration (dual registration) you must meet this standard for each registration. If you hold a ‘scheduled medicine endorsement’ and/or are endorsed as a nurse practitioner, you must complete an additional 10 CPD hours each year.
ANMF’s Education Portal offers more than 250 FREE online CPD modules that members can complete anywhere, at any time.
If you are unclear as to whether you meet the standard for CPD, or the definition of CPD, then please review the relevant NMBA/AHPRA documents:
- Registration standard: Continuing professional development
- Fact sheet: Continuing professional development
- Guidelines: Continuing professional development
Remember to document any CPD you have taken, and contact the Branch for advice if required.
What if I have a criminal record?
The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law requires the National Board to consider if a health practitioner’s criminal history is relevant to the practice of their profession.
The definition of criminal history in the Criminal history registration standard is broad and means you are required to declare matters such as charges, convictions, a plea of guilty/finding of guilt, and spent convictions. We recommend reviewing the Standard and contacting ANMF Member Assistance for advice.
What does it mean when I’m asked if my right to practise has been withdrawn or restricted?
This question only applies to a small number of nurses and midwives who have been given ‘rights’ to work at hospitals or other facilities, such as independent private practice nurse practitioners or midwives who have admitting rights. This question does not require you to declare if your employment has been terminated, suspended or if you are being performance managed.
What is an exposure-prone procedure (EPP)?
An exposure-prone procedure (EPP) is one where there is a risk of injury to the healthcare worker resulting in exposure of the patient’s open tissues to the healthcare worker’s blood. Nurses and midwives must declare if they perform EPPs in accordance with the NMBA guidelines for registered health practitioners in relation to blood-borne viruses. Examples of EPPs include a midwife repairing an episiotomy, assisting with a caesarean birth, application of foetal scalp electrodes or a perioperative nurse surgical assistant involved in open surgical procedures.
How much does registration cost?
The general registration fee for 2024 is $185. This is tax deductible. View the NMBA fee schedule at nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au.
ANMF members should seek advice early from ANMF Member Assistance if they have any questions in relation to the renewal of their registration – be it recency of practice, declaration of an impairment, or any other matter.
*some exceptions apply. Refer to the PII policy for details.
