The Enrolled Nurses NZ Professional Development System has been carefully structured to suit this echelon of nurses in New Zealand.
The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (2003) sets out the compliance framework within New Zealand. This legislation gives direction on requirements that enrolled nurses must demonstrate capability and experience against to retain an annual practicing certificate (APC). The Nursing Council of New Zealand Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa is the authority commissioned to apply these guidelines.
This PD System is a powerful tool that equips nurses with a simple pathway to compliance within the framework. Equally important, it is also a system that propagates professionalism and career development.
A dashboard presents a series of simple charts, data tables and KPI's that summarise all the detailed records. This gives clear direction on progress towards targets, plus it highlights where energy has been spent and where the gaps are. Behind is a rich environment where completion of PD activities can be recorded, professional learning plans (PDPs) can be run, resources can be found along with access to a host of supporting tools.
SYSTEM SUMMARY
Enrolled nurses in New Zealand are required to apply for an 'annual practising certificate' (APC) every year. Submitting this requires a declaration of meeting the 'continuing competence' requirements. These are described as:
- completing 60 days (or 450 hours) of practice in the last 3 years
- completing 60 hours of professional development in the last 3 years
- meeting the Council's competencies for their scope of practice.
Further to this, every year 5% of nurses are selected for audit, which sees a more in-depth process summarised as:
1. Practice hours.
Minimum of 450 hours (60 days) in the last 3 years.
2. Competence Assessments
Verified self-assessment.
Senior nurse assessment/peer assessment.
3. Professional Development hours
Minimum of 60 hours toward PD activities.
Statement of learning - explanation of how these activities influenced daily actions.
The PD system is also constructed over the four domains of competence that describe the knowledge, skills and attitude required of enrolled nurses, as set out by the Nursing Council.
- Domain one: Professional responsibility
- Domain two: Provision of nursing care
- Domain three: Interpersonal relationships
- Domain four: Interprofessional health care & quality improvement
PDRP
As employers have ability to connect with this system and manage staff who are joined with this system, it is readily able to be applied as a central mechanism within an approved professional development and recognition programme (PDRP).
The family of PD Systems for nurses in New Zealand
There are three systems offered within PD able, each built differently to suit specific professional needs. A nurse moving between these PD systems can easily carry existing history forward, in addition to retaining that history within the original system.
Enrolled Nurses NZ (selected)
Registered Nurses NZ
Nurse Practitioner NZ
REVIEW
Within this guidance and support package encapsulated by this Enrolled Nurses NZ PD System, it becomes the responsibility of each nurse to drive their own path. These tools are a great asset to the cause.