ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCE PROGRAMS FOR OVERSEAS QUALIFIED (INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED) NURSES AND MIDWIVES

Other programs will be offered in 2009. See PDF brochure below.

The College of Nursing conducts programs for overseas qualified (internationally educated) nurses and midwives who are referred by the Nurse and Midwives Board of New South Wales for assessment of competence.

About the registered nurse program

The goal of the program is to orientate participants to contemporary nursing practice in Australia, building upon their previous knowledge, skills and experience to prepare them to demonstrate safe practice at the entry to practice level according to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) competency standards for the registered nurse.

During the program the overseas qualified registered nurse is oriented to the Australian health care system and the role of the registered nurse.

The participant enters the program with an assumed level of knowledge and skill. As such, participants are not 'taught' nursing; they are oriented to the standards of practice in Australia.

Applicants are recommended to review their nursing knowledge prior to commencing the program. Resources that may be used to assist you include nursing journals and any recent text books, for example: anatomy and physiology, medical/surgical, pharmacology and nursing fundamentals.

The program consists of:

·         pre-reading (estimated 40 hours)

·         on-campus attendance (160-200 hours), and

·         workplace clinical attendance  (120-160 hours).

On-campus: Location - The College of Nursing, 14 Railway Parade, Burwood. Sessions are conducted from 8.00am to 5pm.

Workplace clinical placements are negotiated in NSW public hospitals. Attendance is from 7am to 3.30pm.

Note: Some participants may need to travel some distance to attend the workplace clinical placement. Participants must comply with NSW Health Department policy on criminal record checking and Immunisation (see below).

Assessment

Assessment is undertaken in both the on-campus and workplace clinical environment.  Participants must be successful in each of the on-campus assessment items to be eligible to proceed to the workplace clinical component and assessment of competence as a registered nurse.

On-campus assessment items:

·         theoretical  examination

·         drug calculations

·         nursing report writing

·         nursing handover

·         administration of intravenous medications

·         wound management

Program 105

Enrolment day for confirmed applicants Wednesday 14 January

On-campus: 15 January to 13 February

Clinical placement: 16 February to 6 March

Extended route

On-campus: 15 January to 20 February

Clinical placement: 2 March to 27 March

Program 106

Enrolment day for confirmed applicants Wednesday 11 March
On-campus: 12 March to 10 April
Clinical placement: 13 April to 5 May

Extended route

On-campus: 12 March to 17 April

Clinical placement: 27 April to 22 May

Further dates will be posted soon

AUD $10,000.00

The cost for the program consists of a $450.00 non-refundable application fee and $9550.00 which is to be paid prior to the program commencement.

1. Letter of referral
Each applicant must have a letter of referral from the Nurses and Midwives Board of New South Wales. The letter must be current at the time of the commencement of the program.

2. English language proficiency
Each applicant is required to provide evidence of an English language test within the previous 2 years at one of the following levels:

• The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with an overall band score of 7 on the single academic module
• International Second Language Proficiency Rating Scale (ISLPR) at Level 3+ on each of the components of reading, writing, listening and speaking
• The Occupational English Test (OET) at a B pass level on each component

3. Valid Visa
Applicants who are an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen or have permanent resident status and holders of any of the following visas:

·        Temporary resident visa

·        Provisional resident visa

·        Bridging visa (except 8207* visa conditions)

·        Student visa, where the holder is currently enrolled in a registered educational course for overseas students

·        Dependent of a student visa

·        Visitor visa

·        456 visa

Applicants who will be applying for a short stay visa in order to undertake the program may be issued with a letter from the College that can be used to support their application for a visa when all other entry requirements have been met.

Holder of any short-term visa must complete the full program within the validity of their visa. Applicants are advised that finalisation of results may take several weeks to process and this should be considered when planning their arrival date.

Applicants are advised that assessment programs are regularly fully subscribed 6 to 9 months in advance.

1. Complete application form

2. Forward completed application form (and non-refundable application fee) along with the following documents:

•  original letter of referral from the Nurses and Midwives Board of New South Wales

•  a certified copy of your English language test result

•  a certified copy of your visa*

* Applicants who will be applying for a short stay visa in order to undertake the program may be issued with a letter from the College that can be used to support their application for a visa when all other entry requirements have been met.

Note: Applications that are incomplete are unable to be processed.

3. Successful applicants will be notified by mail.

Applicants are advised not to finalise any personal arrangements until confirmation of a place in the program is received from the College of Nursing.

4. Confirmed applicants are required to attend the program Enrolment session where all original documentation is to be presented for verification. Applicants will be excluded from the program if the original documentation and eligibility cannot be verified. Outstanding fees are to be finalised at this time.

NSW Health Department policy requires all participants undertaking clinical placement to undertake a criminal record check and sign a prohibited employment declaration.

Prior to lodgement of a criminal record check you are required to:

1. Complete a criminal record check consent form
2. Provide either evidence that a criminal record check has been conducted for you in your country of origin or a statutory declaration stating that you have never visited NSW, Australia, or worked in NSW, Australia
3. Undergo a 100-point identification check. Documents that may be used for identification are a current passport, English language test result with photo identification and date of birth and original Nurses and Midwives Board letter with date of birth.

On enrolment day the steps for preparing to lodge a criminal record check will be completed. A delegate of the College is required to sight original identifying documents totalling at least 100 points and keep and record.

You will be issued with a Clearance for Clinical Placement card which must be carried with you while on clinical placement.

Immunisation

NSW Health Department policy requires participants to comply with its policy of vaccination against infectious diseases.

On enrolment day participants are required to provide evidence of protection according to the following table. Acceptable evidence of protection includes a written record of vaccination signed by the provider and in some cases serological confirmation of protection.

Infectious disease	Acceptable evidence to demonstrate protection
Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis	One documented dose of adult dTpa vaccine
Hepatitis B	Documented evidence of a completed, age appropriate, course of hepatitis B vaccine and documented evidence of anti-HBs ≥ 10mlIU/mL; or documented evidence of past hepatitis B infection (anti-HBc).
Measles, mumps, rubella	Birth date before 1966: or documented evidfence of 2 doses of MMR vaccine at least one month apart; or documented evidence of positive IgG for measles, mumps and rubella
Varicella	History of chickenpox, or documentation of physician-diagnosed shingles; or documented evidence of a positive varicella IgG, or documented evidence of age appropriate varicella vaccination.
Tuberculosis	All persons will need to have visited a local chest clinic to be screened for TB (to exclude active TB and establish baseline TB statue) by local Chest Clinic/Area Health Service Accredited TST Provider. Note: Participants who have been tested in their country of origin prior to arrival to Australia must have the evidence confirmed at an accredited TST provider.

Further information, including details of Chest Clinics and accredited TST providers, is available at the following web site:

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/ohs_vaccination/

Participants are required to carry the adult vaccination record card showing evidence of protection with them when on clinical placement.

Web addresses and additional information

NSW Health Department: www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/
The Nurses and Midwives Board New South Wales: www.nmb.nsw.gov.au
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship: www.immi.gov.au
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council: www.anmc.org.au
Community Relations Commission for a multicultural NSW: www.crc.nsw.gov.au/