SkillsIQ, under the direction of the Enrolled Nursing Industry Reference Committee, has embarked upon a project to review the skills requirements of Enrolled Nurses. This will inform potential changes in current Enrolled Nursing qualifications, Units of Competency and an associated skill set to ensure skills training is in line with workforce needs and expectations.
Draft qualifications list currently endorsed units and will be replaced once draft 1 units content and codes are confirmed. The additional new units will be added to the respective qualifications once draft 1 units content and codes are confirmed.
Additional industry concerns relate to inconsistencies in the wording of some individual Units. Further proposed changes have been informed by the first independent review of Australian nursing since 2002, chaired by Emeritus Professor Steven Schwartz AM, which led to the December 2019 report, Educating the Nurse of the Future. This, as well as the ongoing work of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and the upgrade of professional standards as published by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), has informed the need for a complete industry review of the sector’s Training Package Products.
The Health Training Package must be reflective of the contemporary requirements of industry. Specifically, in this circumstance, the skills required by Enrolled Nurses need to be aligned to exact work roles within health care settings in order to contribute to reducing or eliminating workforce shortages, particularly in regional and rural areas.
This project will update the Enrolled Nursing Training Package Products under the remit of the Enrolled Nursing IRC in response to the Key Drivers for Change findings within the 2019 Enrolled Nursing Industry Skills Forecast.
SkillsIQ will be undertaking a number of key activities to engage community stakeholders and VET professionals.
Consultation Activities and Timelines
National consultation on Draft 1 will occur from Monday, 10 February and will close at 5.00 pm on Friday, 27 March 2020. During this period, input will be sought on the following Training Package Products relating to Enrolled Nursing under the remit of the Enrolled Nursing IRC:
- Two qualifications
- One skill set
- 35 Units of Competency and their associated Assessment Requirements
- Three new Units of Competency and their associated Assessment Requirements.
During the consultation period SkillsIQ will be meeting with industry stakeholders, employers and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). If you have expertise in this area and would like to meet with SkillsIQ, please contact SkillsIQ via enquiries@skillsiq.com.au or via phone at (02) 9392 8100.
Following the close of the consultation period, feedback received will be collated and evaluated. This feedback will inform the development of Draft 2, which will be made publicly available for validation prior to the submission for endorsement.
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Consultation Activities: Round 1
Webinars:
Date Time
Tuesday, 18th February 2.00pm – 3.00pm AEDST - closed
Friday, 21 February 3.30pm – 4.30pm AEDST - closed
Friday, 28 February 11.30am – 12.30pm AEDST
Friday, 20 March 2.00pm – 3.00pm AEDST
Monday, 23 March 10.00am – 11.00pm AEDST
Workshops:
City Date Time
Canberra Thursday, 20 February 9.00am - 12pm - closed
Brisbane Tuesday, 25 February 9.00am - 12pm - closed
Adelaide Wednesday, 26 February 9.00am - 12pm - closed
Perth Thursday, 27 February 9.00am - 12pm - closed
Sydney Monday, 2 March 1.00pm - 4.00pm
Hobart Wednesday, 4 March 1.00pm - 4.00pm
Melbourne Thursday, 5 March 1.00pm - 4.00pm: Venue TBC
Darwin Friday, 13 March 9.00am - 12pm
Further Information
For further information, please contact Gary Dunshea on (02) 9392 8100 or via email at gary.dunshea@skillsiq.com.au