The search is on to find 1400 nurses and midwives to fill the new ratio positions, yet AHPRA is placing unnecessary obstacles in the way of nurses wishing to return to the profession.
We have a chronic shortage of nurses, funding has become available for around 1400 new jobs in the public health system and many nurses and midwives who who took time out to have children now want to return to work. It should be simple: all efforts should be made to help these nurses back into nursing.
Yet, many nurses and midwives have told the NSWNA they face numerous obstacles to re-entering the workforce.
If you have experienced this, please share your experiences with us in the comments section below!
Janelle Atkinson, a qualified nurse and midwife living on the North Coast, learned only last August she had lost her registration due to the recency of practice laws that took effect in July last year.
Like others who have been out of paid nursing work for years, Janelle Atkinson has been barred from re-entering the workforce due to the way the new national professional standards have been implemented, in her case the recency of practice rule.
The rule requires a re-entry to practice course unless the nurse has done at least three months’ nursing in the previous five years. People who have been out of nursing for at least 10 years must start again.
Janelle has been dealing with the new Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), members of parliament, the College of Nursing, and others, including the NSWNA. She has proposed a way forward to enable qualified practitioners such as her to re-enter paid work.
The NSWNA is trying to negotiate with authorities for a period of supervised practice for such nurses, most who are believed to be women who took time out for motherhood.
Janelled has been offered local clinical practice, which may help in reaching a solution in her case.
$10,000 FOR RE-ENTRY COURSE
Currently in NSW, the only available re-entry course for Registered Nurses is from the College of Nursing, a non-profit provider at Burwood in Sydney, which is offering a two month re-entry course of one month’s theory and another of practice for $10,000 for 300 hours of training.
This fee, if annualised and in the present absence of any public support, would equate to a full-fee university course of as much as $50,000 a year. AHPRA has given Janelle a letter of referral to the college. There is no specific re-entry course for midwifes in NSW.
Janelle, who is country-based, practiced and studied from 1989 to 1999, when she took a break to have her first child. She returned to work on the night shift in 2000, until well into her second pregnancy.
‘In 2002, after the birth of my second child, I made the heartwrenching decision to stop nursing temporarily and stay home with my children.
‘In 2010, my third child commenced primary school and I had planned to return to nursing, but then in January my husband purchased a new business which, for that year, required my assistance to set up and run.
‘This year was to be the year for me. I have renewed my registration on time every year, as I have always planned on returning to the profession I loved.
‘I subscribed to Healnet and started undertaking recognised online courses to obtain continuing professional development points.’
Janelle also trained as a volunteer ambulance worker, requiring in-depth training by the ambulance service and to be on call 24/7, as volunteers can often get to a scene faster than regular staff.
‘I was interviewed, and offered a position, at the Coffs Harbour Health Campus [of the Mid North Coast Local Health District], as a midwife. They offered to fully support me back into midwifery via a buddy system, and a midwifery support educator located in the ward.
‘The [campus] is a teaching hospital. I was so excited to be going back to the profession that I loved and to be an integral part of a hospital system again.
‘[Last June] I received a letter from AHPRA proposing to refuse my registration due to the recency of practice laws and standards. I prepared a submission to the [nursing] board, with advice from AHPRA over the phone and support from the [campus]. My submission failed.
‘I am completely devastated that I cannot commence my position as a midwife and, more so, that my whole career has been discarded after all my years of education and experience.’
Stay tuned for Part two of Janelle’s story about her appeal, tomorrow!
Please leave your comments below in the comments section. We want to know what our nurses think of the ‘Recency of Practice’ laws.
Image credit: The LAMP, NSWNA.
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Well this EN who was out of the workforce for a while can only find work as a CSE even though I am still registered with AHPRA as an EN. I cannot do a Medication Endorsement course to increase my options of employment and use the skills i have gained in over 20 years of nursing in public hospitals because I have no recent qualifications and will have to do the full EEN course. If I did find somewhere which will allow me to do the course [and I did find one TAFE facility who would] I have been advised that I cannot have my registration endorsed by AHPRA unless I have recent EN qualifications
I have been told by the management of my workplace that I am able to work UP to my qualifications. I have told then that unless they pay me the right hourly rate for using my qualifications then it won’t be happening. Hate “dumbing myself down” but I have bills to pay and it was a job I could get. Although I have impeccable work references, excellent knowledge and skills each interview I have been to have said that they can’t employ me over someone who is recently qualified. I am fearful of the future of nursing in all areas. I have a 12 month plan of being out of nursing altogether and working in another industry. This breaks my heart because I love being a nurse and still take great pride in my job but the feeling of being undervalued because of having older qualifications is too much. Experience just does not count for anything anymore.
I have just copied and paste this from a previus thread so please don’t forget EN’s with older qualifications as well. It seems that AHPRA is quite happy to take my registration money but do nothing to help me upgrade my qualifications. By the way I was only out of nursing for less than 5 years and have been back nursing for nearly 5 years now. I have only had one reply from the many emails I have sent to various MP’s and no reply at all from the ACTU. Nice!
Maybe it’s about time that the industrial organisations, MP’s and the media are asked some very pointed questions. Employing workers on 457 Visas at the expense of other staff is also an issue. Employers are VERY sneaky & can make things look quite ” plausible” on paper. NOT ON!
There is no ‘nice’ way to put it. IT STINKS !!! ( to say the least …)
There was around 55 or more responses to the previous thread ( I made another several ).
Unfortunately, the truth is, that AHPRA was pushed forward, by elements of our own Nursing profession. Academics, researchers, high ranking directors, and ( I believe ) senior figures in the NSWNA and the various Nursing colleges. The Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council who co-produced the Codes of Conduct with the RCNA had a part to play as well.
Basically, 99% of all nurses have been forced to upskill, and undertake higher education ( to Masters level ), just to stay in our ordinary ‘ward’ jobs. It won’t be too far in the future, before the BASIC entry level for Nursing will be the Masters degree !!
Who’s responsible? Why?
When I started out in Nursing, I only needed a Diploma. I was told, I could progress forward, or stay where I was. If they told me 26 years ago, that I will eventually need a Masters degree to wipe people’s backsides … guess what I would have said ??
GORDO
Well, my registration as an Enrolled Nurse expireds in May 2010 and I have just discovered APRAH’s new system of screwing nurses over!! I trained as an EN and worked at Campbelltown, Liverpool and Bankstown hospitals. I left nursing to support my Brain Injured brother and family to care for his needs and am looking to return to the workforce now that his condition has improved. I have worked with disability at Sydney Uni on and off but don’t think I will qualify for the minimum term of 3 months over five years. I don’t think I’ll waste my time and money renewing, might as well tear up my Cert and become a cleaner, at least they’re appreciated!! God save our hospitals, cos our gov’t certainly won’t!!
I think it is highly outrageous! I have a friend in a similar situation – 15 years experience as RN/RM, left the profession to have children and educate via school of the air, as she lives in an isolated area (therefore no ability to do the odd shift to keep her registration). Now her children are off to boarding school and she is desperate to return to midwifery – which has always been her passion – and is being told that she will need to do all her training over again.
In a country that is always screaming out for nurses and midwives, I find this absurd! And what’s more we’ve created this problem ourselves. Surely providing accredited re-entry courses to allow experienced and valuable nurses and midwives to return to work after taking time of for the important job of raising their children, is the way to go. Why should they be penalised for being good mothers?
I am a Victorian RN or should that be was .I am going through the awful process of trying to re register after a break of 9 years for child raising. AHPRA seem to make it as hard as possible from start to finish. Proving my english skills when all my education and employment is in Austrailia, do they think I have forgotten how to speak english in the last 9 years!They suggested I contact universities for recognition of prior learning, I hold a Degree but it was obtained more than ten years ago so counts for absolutely nothing. Punishment for putting family first. What a great society!!!
I am keen to see a legal challenge and some more media coverage of this problem. I am being refused any kind of registration after having some years out of practice and my Masters degree is not recognised.
I would love to be in touch with others by email
kmoo1162@gmail.com
Cheers
Kate
I have not practised for 10 years although I have a Bsc & a Masters in nursing both attained just before the time that I left. I am absolutely disgusted with the treatment I am receiving from AHPRA with regard to keeping my registration/qualifications. I would expect that if I returned to nursing I would have to do a re-entry course but what they are proposing is wildly excessive and so expensive as to prevent older nurses re-entering the workforce. There is a shortage of nurses and the health system needs experienced well educated nurses more than ever. I will also be a consumer of that health system in the future and the situation worries me greatly.
I to am in the above predicament out of work just over ten years with plenty of qualifications/experience. Left to have and educate my children and now find that I am being asked to fully retrain before returning to my midwifery. I believe this is an absurd and ridiculous ruling and prepared to take my case further. Is there anyone else out there in this situation willing to form a lobby group to take our cause further?? You can contact me at min_nursing@yahoo.com
Similar situation for me. I am/was an RN/RM and left in 2001 to have the first of my three children. I last practised in 2005, working part-time on a postnatal ward in a large teaching hospital in Sydney. AHPRA have referred me to the re-entry course for midwifery only, and will not re-register me as a nurse. The re-entry course, besides being extremely expensive, as I understand it has nothing to do with midwifery.
What a ludicrous suggestion to re-do a three year nursing degree that you already possess…..
Having qualified in 1981 I have had a long career in Haemodialysis nursing and have had two breaks.One for 7 years while I had my children subsequently returning in 2001 to a Haemodialysis unit with a facilitator on hand and was up to speed within a week.The other break, recently for 6 years partly due to illness and then assisting with a family business,but had intended to return to nursing last May having renewed my registration every year.I was told after submitting a CV and also informing them of an available position for me in a Haemodialysis unit,and after I might add, waiting to hear back from them for six months,that I needed to do a re-entry course.I have accepted that fact but find it unbelievable that I have to pay $10,000, completely upfront and that this is the only option available to me! In W A & S A there are hospital based re-entry courses that are free.Why are there no free hospital based re-entry courses in NSW? .How many unregistered nurses are out there and cannot afford to pay that fee in order to return to their chosen career .With NSW crying out for registered nurses, the’ powers that be’ are responsible for missing a whole army of us just waiting to return.
A recent decision where a nurse returning to work after a break of more than 5 years succeeds at the Tribunal in obtaining conditional re-registration as nurse and midwife:
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/nsw/NSWNMT/2011/32.html
Thank s Aron
do you know how to make an appeal to the tribunal , I can’t find how to on APHRA website. Do you know Julieanne Palmer? maybe she can have some great advise for all in need. Cheers Suzanne
I have read this article in this months Lamp and think it is deplorable. This lady had very valid reasons to leave the workforce for so many years – she was raising a family and helping her husband run a business! She had the full support of her employer therefore AHPRA screwed her over. Seems there are many others in the same situation as her. $10,000 upfront to do a re-entry course through College of Nursing when there is such a chronic nursing shortage is disgraceful. Why are these courses not hospital based and therefore free of charge? There needs to be more incentives to get nurses back to the workforce rather than drive them away.
I agree with GORDO, pretty soon Masters degrees will be mandatory as will being Credentialled.
Hopefully things will work out for Janelle careerwise.
I think it’s time the Govt stepped in and actually did something about it.
Thankyou Anon for posting link above. I am Janelle Atkinson who appeared in the Nov issue of THE LAMP “Needless Hurdles”. I feel it sets a precedent for ALL nurses and midwives who have been deregistered due to recency of practice standards. I have emailed Anne Samuelson (AHPRA) requesting “reregistration as a nurse and midwife subject to conditions” , citing PALMER V NURSING and MIDWIFERY BOARD NSW AUSTRALIA [2011] NSWNMT (12 December 2011) Will be interesting to see if I get a response.
I suggest all of you forward this link to all you know who have been deregistered due to the new recency of practice standards. Strength in numbers !!
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/nsw//NSWNMT/2011/32.html
hi Janelle – how did you go? did you get a response? what was the result?
I got my letter from AHPRA today refering me to the course. I’m considering making a submission.
I would also like to thank everyone for their support and good wishes so far since this issue has gone public. Many of you have gone to a lot of trouble to contact me and I empathise with all of you .Nurses are the ones who are there when people are at there most vulnerable, scared and in pain. It breaks my heart to think of so many devoted, highly intelligent, educated nurses who have been de-registered due to no fault of our own. I will continue to fight the beauracrats on this issue as it affects so many and it is just plain unfair.
I have been out of paid work for 15 years, during which I have cared for my disabled husband, and nursed him through numerous surgeries, managed his medications, liased with many health professionals, including pain specialists, neurologists, and have been trying to get some points to prevent being deregistered. I have applied for quite a few courses, only to be refused, because I am not currently employed.
To that end I have been working again now for 3 months, as a night duty RN in aged care; night duty, so I am not away from my husband during his waking hours. I have just begun to accrue the odd point, but as my registration comes up in Jan ’12, I am terrified that I will now be deregistered and lose my new found passion. I have never NOT been a nurse, something most of my fellow nurses can attest to. I am very keen to seek a class action against those that seek to ruin our careers/lives. One of the nurses I work with has told me that the government paid his wife $10,000 to emmigrate from the Phillipines to work here as a RN. Why cant they offer a little of this cash to help we more mature nurses keep doing what we love. I have never had a moment’s problem fitting right back into my job as an RN; I love my job and my patients love me, trust me, and rely on my care.
I am in the same boat.I have been an RN for 15 years.Stopped working in late 2005 after the birth of my 5th child.Last year I thought it was time to return to the job I love,and was shocked to hear AHPRA declined my application.I have taken my issue to local mp,NSWNA!made written complaints to Julian Skinner etc,all to no avail.They don’t care.So it seems AHPRA with the stroke of a pen can wipeout my whole career and uni degree..Why? Hospitals are screaming out for staff,why not let us come back???
I can’t believe there are so many of us, for what ever reason have had a break from our careers and have been treated so badly with no explanation. Myself have had the same treatment( or should I say no treatment) from AHPRA, after many phone calls , one to tell me they never received my submission for RN/RM and after a very long weekend to find out yes they had received it than to be told my RM was voided. Never have I received paper to tell me or encourge me how to keep my RN. Thanks Aron for the tribunal link, APHRA will be getting another call on Monday. It is so sad that like myself you can be penalised in 2012 for being a mother and caring for your family.
Everyone keep their heads up :those tears, sleepless moments, anger feelings,letters to govt members etc and phones ++++++ who can HELP ??? surely together there is an answer especially in numbers.
Hi, I’m in the same boat as many others here. Bachelor degree, 15 years experience as a registered nurse (in Victoria) in various settings, stopped just under 6 years ago to raise my children thinking i’d do a refresher course (or some on the job updating) and get back into nursing. I was stunned to see these changes. How do they manage to keep this out of the media and the general public? Even colleagues of mine who are still nursing had no idea. This needs to be taken up by the media. If they think there’s a nurses shortage now, wait for another 5 years of qualified nurses refusing to pay these ridiculous fees and undergo an unnecessary amount of training (or even more outrageous – redoing your whole degree!), then they’ll have a real crisis on their hands. We are qualified! Just need updating. Just like riding a bike – you never forget how to nurse! I don’t know of any other profession that renders a degree completely worthless after having time off.
Emailed Four Corners today and have also pointed them in the direction of this discussion as well as “Unneccesary hurdles for wanting to return to nursing”. Lets see what happens.
Well done Julie. Would be great to see some decent media coverage. Have you thought of forwarding your email to 60 mins or ACA as well. Maybe they would jump on board too. I will try to put something together as well. Maybe the more they here from, the more likely they will run with this story.
Have heard nothing from Four Corners at all.
Please see this article: http://www.news.com.au/nurses-forced-to-pay-to-work-in-nsw-hospitals/story-e6freuzi-1226250317887
I have been writing and phoning my local MP, Jillian Skinner, AHPRA, The College of Nursing (who holds the ONLY course in NSW) and many other institutions about this ludicrous situation with Nurses wanting to re-enter the workforce after more than 5years away from nursing. Today I was interviewed by the ABC Radio and once I find the transcript, I will post it here. I am desperate to get back to Nursing and have a good 30 more years to give to this career, but have one major hurdle to get over. That is the financial burden of completing the course ($18000 = course + childcare/travel costs) and the inflexibility of the course (held full-time over 8weeks). I am the main care giver to my 3 young children and due to my Husband working long 12hr days, and travelling a lot for work, I am unable to complete the course.
I am more than interested to hear from anyone who is at present, looking into forming a class action or some other lobby group. We all need to get together and do something. Unfortunately, as individuals we are not getting anywhere.
Ooops “Return to Nursing…not at $10,000
I have sent emails to ACA and Today Tonight ,as well as Ray Hadley,talk show host with 2GB in Sydney.Have not had any response yet….hope it is just because it has been a holiday period,and not because no one seems to care about our plight!!
Hi Barbara,
my hubby is planning to contact Alan Jones at 2GB – we are just waiting to do a little bit more homework before we go to him, so we are prepared in our arguement.
the more noise we make the sooner we will be heard.
Hi all,
I was an RN7 with post grad cert in ICU.
I last worked in 2007 just before falling pregnant with my 3rd child.
I had worked casually inbetween my 1st and 2nd child and was planning to go back to work in 2009 but my local hospital weren’t taking any more casuals on at that point and told me to come back in 3 months. By that time I was pregnant with my 4th child and so decided to hold off going back to work until my 4th baby was approaching 12 months. Which brought me to last year finding out that AHPRA had come in and everything had changed.
Like so many others i have a passion for nursing, I dont want to do anything else. From the age of 12, all I wanted to be was a nurse and I pursued that dream to now find out that everything I studied and worked hard for may be lost because I chose to have a career break to care full time for my 4 young children.
I care about the future of nursing and am saddend to hear of other stories of dedicated nurses in the same boat. I feel like I am sitting at home seemingly helplessly watching our health system struggle. While they cry out for more nurses, I am here waiting and wanting to come back.
I am keen to do whatever I can to help fight for our cause.
Good luck to you all.
Thanks Julie, Barbara and Sandra, we need all our voices to be heard. I contacted Ray Hadley back in September but received no response at all.Since November 2011, I have appeared in The Lamp, The Sun-Herald, 50+ newspapers across Australia and spoken live on ABC Radio with Brett Holmes (Gen Sec NSWNA) about this problem, so it will be great to get some wider exposure. I hope you have all seen and opened the link above posted by Anon (16th Dec 2011)re. Julia Palmer’s win with the Tribunal on 13th dec 2011, this will have to set a precedent for us all, who have been unfairly de-registered.
I am also fighting for my career. I have 20 years expereince as an RN, a nursing degree & partial Masters (Hons). I took time out to care for family, & after just over 10 years out was told my only option was to redo my qualifications eg Bachelor of Nursing (3 yrs fulltime). I was so shocked to learn that refresher programs had been scrapped, & even nurses I have spoken to who are still in the nursing workforce are as equally shocked. Worse is the refusal for those over 10 years out into an AOC or Re-Entry Program. I have a second appeal pending and am not going quietly.
The barrister in that matter was Daniel Tynan. You can look him up on the NSW Bar webpage http://www.nswbar.asn.au or his email is danieltynan@wentworthchambers.com.au
i personally spoke with Damiel Tynan yesterday about his case with Julie Palmer.Its a long and expensive road unfortunately to take the legal route.I was interviewed by Daily Telegraph in sydney yesterday and story is due to be pblished on Saturday,keep an eye out and lets keep up the protesting!
Well done Kylie. Can’t wait to read the article. Hopefully it will push the issue into the limelight.
What a good article in telegraph. Thanks Julie.
And thanks penny who called Alan jones on 2GB this morning regarding the article.
I’m going to e-mail Alan jones with my story too.
Maybe we should all e-mail Alan with our stories- strength in numbers.
http://www.news.com.au/nurses-forced-to-pay-to-work-in-nsw-hospitals/story-e6freuzi-1226250317887
I have also emailed Alan Jones, along with Jenny Brockie (4 corners) and will continue to help fight for a fair resolution to this issue.
I am now working as a personal carer, earning the award wage (as I can not even be employed as an Assistant Nurse, let alone a Registered Nurse!). How’s that for studying a 3 year Nursing degree and working in Nursing, before starting a family. I purposely chose Nursing for the varying shifts, caring for others and because I saw it as a career with many paths to take. So much for that! Just because I decided to care for my own children for the first 2years of their young lives, I am now been discriminated against and passed off as ‘not good enough’. Such a sad situation for many of us.
Just read an article that may be of interest:
http://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/2012/01/13/article/Course-fees-make-union-seethe/JIFEJVJHPJ.html
Also interesting:
http://www.yasstribune.com.au/news/local/news/general/impost-on-returning-nurses-send-them-to-act/2412099.aspx?storypage=1
http://www.change.org/petitions/minister-for-health-introduce-an-affordable-and-flexible-re-entry-to-nursing-course
Please support the Nurses who want to get back into the workforce by signing this petition! We need your help. Thanks, Sarah.
I am a 20 year experienced RN with degree in search of an Operating Room position.
I left the Nursing field for 10 years to start my own business, now have sold the business and want to get back in the Operating Room. My speciality was Cardiac.
I cannot find any HOSP that will hire me. I am searching for an Internship program for Re-entry but so far–NOTHING. I have contacted AORN and they are seaching for me also. ANY BODY have any ideas what to do nexr?
Please don’t forget the plight of us who are being refused permission into the re-entry programs at all!!! RN’s 10 years out are being told by AHPRA to re-do qualifications from scratch ie 3 year full-time Bachelor of Nursing. There have been no courses available for our needs. Many of us have a wealth of experience which is surely worth recognising and supporting. What other profession has their qualifications and experience completely nullified?
Two things to do Jim …
1. Scroll through the AHPRA website – read everything to do with ‘recency of practice’.
2. Read all the relevant threads on this forum …
Then, unfortunately, you will realise, that nobody can help you.
Regardless of which State you are in, the CURRENT situation is hopeless …
Best of luck though …
GORDO
I think I can see what the problem is: Health Minister Jillian Skinner is obviously innumerate. $10,000 for a 6 week “refresher” course for a $25 per hour job simply isn’t worth it. Perhaps we all need to become MP’s? Or the mate of an MP who runs a College?
Hi Janelle,
Was soooooooo interested in what you have said about the conditional registration. Had already put this to the Board in my first appeal, but only via a letter. I am currently organising another submission/report, and will possibly attach the AGEN40 as well. It really is like pulling teeth to know what it is they actually want. Have also spoken with barrister Daniel Tynan today.
I have been wanting to get in contact with you for a while – when I can set up a public email address I’ll post it on this thread.
Goodluck with the fight.
Hi Lou, Sorry for the slow reply but we have had major storms recently resulting in no phones (twice) ,no power , flooding and trees blocking roads. Plus being busy working as a medical receptionist and trying to organise a family and a business so I can go to Sydney to undertake the assessment of competence course. Good luck with your new submission, hopefully you can obtain some form of registration so that you can go back to work soon. Good Luck with YOUR fight as well, thinking of you ALL. Cheers, Janelle
I think we all need to take a deep breath.
I, like many others, am using this thread to keep abreast of what is happening but I don’t think some of the hysterics (for want to a better word) are helping. Clearly Gordo sees the situation as evidence as a giant conspiracy but I don’t agree. What has happened is that the NMBA thought that nurses & midwives on career breaks would still be connected enough with their profession to be aware of the changes and their impact during the transition period. Apparently the union did too. Clearly this was not the case and we need to work together to pressure the NMBA and NSW Health to work together to sort it out.
I think this is a really valuable thread to keep people informed but I don’t think we should be naming, quoting, accusing and critising individuals. Nor do I think it is fair to selectively quote portions of correspondence.
I realise people are completely furious and stressed about the situation but I think we need to remember that this is a public forum and to post accordingly.
Also, I think that probably the best thing everyone can do is to visit their local state MP. Inundating MPs with personal representations on the issue will ramp up the pressure where it needs to be. All you have to do is tell them your story.
Gordo
Wrong again. It does matter what state you are in. NSW is the only state with recency of practice issues and the only one with only one re-entry to practice program.
The Refresher Course for Registered Nurses used to cost $900.00 in 2008. It ran for two weeks and when I contacted the College of Nursing to enquire why the cost had increased, I was told that it was due to insurance costs.
I am currently having my RN reviewed by APHRA and will know in Feb if I will have to complete the College of Nursing course or undertake a B.N.
At present, I am working as an assistant in nursing in Aged Care and was actually working as an R.N. there last year until APHRA began to review my registration. I would really love to be working there again as an R.N as Aged Care desperately needs R.N’s who want to work with the Aged.
I have found it interesting reading about cases similar to mine and don’t feel so alone in this mismangement of R.N.’s attempting to return to work.
I urge you all to download a copy of the re-entry to nursing petition found on the NSWNA homepage and get as many signatures as you can before the end of March 2012.
http://www.nswnurses.asn.au/multiattachments/37919/DocumentName/Petition%20for%20Re-entry%20to%20nursing%20and%20midwifery.pdf
Here is the link to the Petition for Re-entry to Nursing from the NSW Nurses Association website. PLEASE SIGN IT : )
speaking from Victoria – same scenario for me several years ago – just 5 years out of nursing (raising a young family) it took me another 3 years just to ‘suck it up’ due to desperate financial circumstances and concede – my large metro city did not offer the course, meant I travelled 3hrs daily for 12 weeks. With the occasional late/early shift I secured just 4 hrs sleep on some of those nights. In addition to the 8 weeks of shiftwork, a huge amount of assignment work was allocated during the 4 week ‘study block’ meaning every weeked and spare moment was spent on ‘study’ – assignment and powerpoint and poster presentations – I recall none but the horror. I still look back at those weeks as being the worst in my life – I felt as though I was being punished for ‘leaving the profession’. Having to ‘pay’ the gap of $4000 adding insult to injury for which I had to secure a personal loan. I still maintain it is a huge barrier for ‘refreshed’ nurses wishing to return to nursing and the original re-entry program a much more appropriate alternative. I now work in aged care and love it – the 12 week program was sadly, mostly irrelevant, as it was set in an acute hospital – I had no intention of proceeding with ward nursing and would have been far better off doing a preceptorship in an aged care/community setting where I am now employed.
Does anyone have any ideas about making up recency of practice hours which aren’t renumerated? I am trying to make up hours before my next registration date . . .I work in mental health and I’m an rn? Any ideas? I could then at least make up some extra time constructively, maybe volunteer work? Thanks Please help!! x x
It also includes working in a direct non-clinical relationship with
clients, working in management, administration, education, research,
advisory, regulatory or policy development roles, and any other roles that
impact on safe, effective delivery of services in the profession and/or use of
their professional skills. Any ideas?
I think I mean remuneration?! Thanks x
I am an EN who has been out of nursing since 2005, but kept paying my registration up until 2008. I only left nursing as my husband bought a business and needed me to help him run it. Our business has now closed and I thought I could go back into nursing.
I am a Theatre nurse and have a job lined up and waiting but unfortunately I cannot get my registration renewed until I do the re-entry course and pay the $10k.
I dont have $10k and will not have it in the near future so looks like my nursing career is over. Hearbreaking is all I can say.
I spoke to the Board of Nursing and they told me that there are thousands of nurses willing to pay the money. I asked who are these nurses and how do they afford it. They told me that I should apply for a personal loan just like they had.
I dont think so.
When there is such a shortage of nurses why should we have to pay this. So unfair.
I have rang 2GB and spoke to Ray Hadley and he is going to look into it but I encourage any other nurses who listen to him to ring up and voice their concerns about this as well. .
I am now unemployed and cannot find a job. Dont know what I am going to do.,
Nursing is what I am meant to do and I love it, but until the law changes I can follow my dream anymore.
I’d like to know who these thousands of nurses are too!!!
I have emailed Alan jones and ray Hadley on 2GB. But had no response.
Maybe I’ll have to call too!
Hi.
I left nursing in 2004 when my youngest child was born. I now want to return to my role as a Regsitered Nurse but noone will employ me because I have been out for more than 5 yrs, mind you I have had experience in the last years caring for hubby who has MS. Even when the MS society has advertsied jobs for RN’s to visit recently diagnosed people with MS to offer support and show them how to self administer s/c betaferon, I’m not considered as ‘exeperienced’. It absolutely peeves me to tears since I have been giving my hubby the injections all this time , caring for 2 kids too. I bet if I had a ‘buddy’ my nursing skills would come back to me. It’s not rocket scince!! Yes, I woked in a high dependency ward and nursing is a hard job but why do I have to pay 10 grand to work again??
Has anyone considered a career change because of this?? I’m thinking of doing primary teaching, it would be cheaper and I like kids.
Hi Suzie. I was planning on doing exactly what you have mentioned. I’m in Victoria, and am not prepared to jump through the hoops now in place to get back in to what i am qualified and experienced to do since having time off for my kids. Thought i’d go to plan b and do primary teaching given it was my 2nd preference after leaving high school. Even though i have had experience in teaching during my nursing career, coaching primary age children etc, i missed out on getting in to the dip ed, as down here and when i queried why, i was told they don’t consider experience which would be benfecial for teaching, it went solely on GPA (grade point average) from my nursing degree results 18 years ago!! My plan B fell through, so i am now mowing lawns for my dad with his business. I am just lucky i at least have that as an option otherwise i have no idea what i’d do. What a waste!
i got my letter from AHPRA today!!! as expected i have a referel letter to do a assessment of competence course.
has anyone made a submission to the board to reconsider? and if so-what was the outcome?
has anyone actually done the assessment course?
Hi Sandra,
I have made a submission to the board to be reconsidered for RN registration without having to do the refresher course and have today received a response advising that they will grant me registration ‘with conditions’. These 7 ‘conditions’ will certainly effect my unemployablility. I have worked in the past 5 years but fall just short of the minimum hours. It has been the most frustrating experience and there is no end in sight as I plan to appeal this latest unreasonsble impediment to resuminmg my nursing career.
Penny
thanks penny..how many supervised hours do you have to do?
it all seems too hard! maybe i just wont bother with attempting a submission..seems like it wont do me any good!
let us know how you get on with further appeal. PM me at sandymboz@yahoo.com if you need to discuss anything further. cheers, Sandra.
Hi Sandra, I received a proposal to refuse my registration in June 2011, accompanied by a letter of referral to The College of Nursing. I sent a submission to the Board in July 2011 which failed, and my registration was refused. I applied to appeal to the Nursing and Midwifery Tribunal, but was told that this would be very expensive and I would probably not win, so I withdrew my appeal. I was successful in gaining a NSW scholarship in December 2011, and now find myself off to The College of Nursing next week (27th). I realise how lucky I am to have this chance, as so many of us are caught up in this devastating predicament. It means though, that I am leaving my 3 young children for the first time in their lives, one of whom will have a birthday while I’m gone. I also still have to manage my husbands business, as I do all the paperwork,(which arrives home with him late at night). The next 4 – 8 weeks will be challenging to say the least.
I am sorry you are now in the position of proposed refusal as I was, I empathise completely, you are not alone. Send in a submission to the Board as advised and see how it goes. Good Luck, let us know how you go. Janelle
thanks janelle. im not sure what to do? dont think i have the emotional motivation to send in a submission when more experienced nurses than me are getting refused.
i enquired about the december scholarships, but was still waiting for my AHPRA referal so had to wait.
one of the biggest hurdles is the childcare issue!! (ironically that was why i could’t keep up my work in the first place!!)
i feel for you leaving your little ones..:-( do you still live up the north coast? do you have to be in sydney the whole 8 weeks?
at least i only live about 30mins from the college!! PM me at sandymboz@yahoo.com and let me know how you get on with the course…and if you ever need any help with anything in sydney let me know, i’ll help in any way i can.
Has anyone got any great ideas how to write a submission that can win AHPRA over?
Or at least know of any guidelines, I finally have received a letter to write a submission to save my midwifery due to ROP. The story is tooo long and boring, but definently hurtful. Would appreciate any ideas. Thanx Suzanne
hi everyone,
I am totally new to this forum and only discovered today after goggling out of desperation to seek help and any good ideas to lodge an appeal to Aphra to reconsider my application for RN that had been declined on the ground of my overseas educational qualifications not matching up with any equivalent Australian University level.
I am about one quarter thro my Bachelor of nursing thro UTAS and is currently working in Aged Cares as Team leader/stand-in RN frequently . I also felt that Aphra had failed to present all my papers of qualifications to the selection committee including vitally important information about the college that I obtained my degree is now an accredited renowed Thailand University. This letter which I have about my college name change is vital as Aphra alleged that it could not find my college name anywhere in its list of thailand institutions that it can draw equivalence about my overseas qualifications locally. Adding salt to injury, the most perturbing part of all this I had to endure over seven months of hell to hear this outcome . I really would appreciated all you more learnt people here to give me some helps as to how I can win NMBA over on this one important appeal i , thank you so much and long live nursing!!
This is just another example of The College of Nursing having their finger in every pie.
I have been away from the bedside for over 10 years but have worked is a clinical situation in education. I resigned from nursing 4 yrs ago now and require a reentry course, so I am told. Unfortunately from my research there are no refresher or rentry courses available and hence I will remain unemployable. Not sure what to do. It is too expensive to attend the required number of workshops to remain “sort of” updated. Last I heard there was even a membership fee to gain access to the website containg journals of relevance to read to show that you are making an effort to stay in touch. It all too much, its easier to let your registration go! Sally
My wife was an RN (Degree) before we decided to have a family. We are fortunate that my salary covered all our expenses etc – hence she did not work for 8 years. Now that our youngest is about to go to pre-kindy next year, she is planning to return to work – perhaps doing one or two shifts a fortnight and eventually increasing her hours/days so that she can still be home for the kids to help with homework etc – this will also help us ensure that our kids stay off the streets and do not become a problem for society. She recently told me that she needed to pay $10k just to go back to work?? My response to this was, spend a little more money and do a Masters in something else, perhaps teaching and change careers!
I can see why the powers that be would have come up with the idea of up-skilling/refreshing nurses before they come back into the workforce – however this does not encourage nurses back into the industry!
It sounds easy to just ‘upgrade to a Masters’ degree. Although you will find that nearly all the higher degrees need you to be currently registered as a Nurse.
I have looked into this option, and have not as yet found a Post Graduate qualification that I could do to allow me to become re-registered, or to even change my career direction in Nursing. I have also considered teaching in health (ie. as a TAFE NSW AIN teacher) and gaining qualifications to do this, but still found that I needed to be currently registered.
I am not even able to apply to work as an AIN, as I need to go to TAFE and do the Assistant in Nursing Course.
At present I will just have to continue working as a disability support worker on an award wage, until a more affordable and accessible course becomes available for me to return to Nursing.
“my whole career has been discarded”
A sickening state of affairs with bureucracy gone mad. Let’s face it, there are positions in nursing in this country that are not that appealing to anyone, even a 457 visa holder.So for God’s sake wake up to yourselves or you will destroy the entire industry that your bureaucracy is based on. Let alone the affect on the community this is having.
I’m in the same boat. Unfortunately, this is the longer term result of the professionalisation of nursing. We moved this way to get paid our dues, and now we are under the oppression of maintaining our worth. We are the by-products now. Our financial value has pushed the value of our credentials up, and we really just have to accept this. Can you really see this changing? I can’t. Nursing was once a ‘vocation’, now it is a profession. And those who fought for this are not likely to look back over their shoulders and feel sorry for those who are being left behind. I am facing either starting all over again, or looking at an alternative career.
I have no idea what our nursing “leaders” actually think the role of the nurse today is – whatever their vision, it is totally “skewed with hype and rhetoric”.
Nursing is not rocket science, never has been and never will be and apart from the usual increase in knowledge of all professions, its role has changed little. Nursing is, and always will be, a vocation. There are not too many people who want to look after someone who is not their own, on a 24hr hands on basis.
We have no input into the patient’s direct care, save what we can advocate and, occasionally, refuse to administer should the treatment be so glaringly wrong, yet the education advocated for the registered nurse is one that you would think that the nurse was calling the shots, so to speak.
Add to that that we now have in the acute hospital setting the AIN with five weeks or six months education, doing 99% of the registered nursing role, with this AIN unable to be recognised by the nurse governing body – one must then question the bureaocracy that now masquerades as nursing intelligentia.
I believe the day is coming when they will be called to account.
Jennifer, I am so with you on your comments! Nursing is a hard and dirty job for those who wish to be involved at the bedside – and guess what, it is usually those who do care that are burned at the “stake of professionalism”!
I am so glad to find that I am not alone. Here is my story.
I originally applied for registration as a midwife in January/February 2011. At the time I was not working but still employed by Hunter New England Health and was pregnant with my now youngest child. On 21 November 2012 I was given Registered Nurse registration but denied Midwifery registration (almost 2 years after my initial aplication).
I was denied registration as a midwife as I unable to obtain paperwork that was acceptable to AHPRA despite numerous attempts to obtain it through Hunter New England Health.
I was able to provide a certificate of Service (with the incorrect classification of
Registered Nurse) along with a letter from Maitland Hospital stating that I was employed as a Registered Midwife working in the postnatal unit and Special Care Nursery during this time. This was not good enough.
I recieved little communication or assistance from AHPRA and waited months in between hearing anything. In the meantime the computer roster systems changed at Hunter New England Health with my old roster information and they were unable to do anything more for me. At one point my application was left for an extended period because an employee from AHPRA had resigned and not passed on to anyone else.
Ironically, I now have registration as a nurse but have not worked outside midwifery
for around 10 years (apart from two or three shifts in pediatrics during my time at Maitland Hospital).
I resigned myself to the fact that I was getting nowhere with AHPRA and recently decided that I would do a refresher course through ACT health to obtain my registration again. Today while enquiring about the course I have learnt that I am illegible for it because I do not have my midwifery registration! I have been told that I have to reapply again which may take months because of the Christmas New year period!
I heard on the news not long ago that we need more midwives, but I am being blocked at every turn trying to maintain my registration. I worked for 5 years at university to become a midwife and now I have lost it because I didn’t have the right document, even though I had other documents to support that I worked most recently as a midwife. I realise that new regulations are now in place and think that it is a good idea to make sure that nurses and midwives remain well educated and current in their professions. But why has no commonsense been applied during the changes in regulations?
I loved working as a midwife and feel so upset that I have lost my registration so easily. Now that I am trying to reinstate my registration through doing a refresher course, my path has been blocked again.
Hi there,
I finished my training in 1995 and have worked as a Registered Nurse up until 2007 when I had my first child. I went back in 2009 for 6 months until having my 2nd child, but I still haven’t met the Recency of Practice standard, where I had to work the equivalent of 3 months in 5 years.
I’m ready to go back to work next year as my eldest starts prep, I even went for an interview at a Day Surgery, more or less had the job. I was so excited!
Now I have to withdraw my application as APHRA won’t register me
I’m also in the same boat. Although I’m in QLD, but am having the same trouble with re-entering the workforce after a break of 5 years to raise my 2 children. My hubby works away overseas for 5 weeks at a time, and we made the decision for me to stay at home rather than the kids going to daycare fulltime.
Now I have to pay $9,125 to do a 20-week re-entry course. Mostly online, then at the end I need to go back to the hospital I worked at as a student with a preceptor to do 160hrs.
It’s crazy, they are turning me away when they are meant to screaming out for nurses. I really don’t know what to do now, that is why I googled this issue and came across this page.
Hello
I also think this situation is disgraceful. I am a midwife with a Masters and years of clinical experience, but AHPRA says I must do my entire degree again to practice. I have explored my options and appealed the decision three times. This included appearing before the AHPRA Tribunal, where I was made to feel as small and as guilty (why should I feel guilty!!??) as possible. Two of the three people making up the Tribunal weren’t even Health professionals!!
I am now looking at taking up a legal battle and giving us lots of media coverage. I am interested in hearing from as many other nurses in this situation as possible.
I am happy for you to email me directly just using your email, no names or identification – kmoo1162@gmail.com
Unless we organize and take a stand, this ridiculous situation will continue!!
Kate
I’m curious, what about doctors? Do they have to do a certain number of hours to maintain their registration? or can they just have time off and re-enter practice again without an issue?
Does their degree last for life, unlike ours? I’m really curious if anyone knows what rules they have to follow.
Hi there! I’m from Tasmania and am having similar problems to you all. I finished my bachelor of nursing in 2002, working for nearly 4 years before starting my beautiful family. I returned to work in 2009 between child number three and four for about three months, working casual dayshift for one day a week, before falling pregnant with number four. I have been able to renew my registration every year up until the last two years due to the new APHRA recency of practice rules. On application of my registration renewal I was told that I wouldn’t be successful and would lose my registration due to not having worked the equivalent of three months fulltime in the past 5 years. So the fact that at the time of this enquiry I had been working competently on a ward as the second most senior RN counted for nothing! My colleagues and employee no doubt would vouch for my competency, but they weren’t interested in this! I recently called them to see again where I stood, but was told that I had to do a refresher course which is not offered in Tasmania! Wow! They later that day rang me back and said that I could submit an application for re-registration and the board would look at my case based on how much I had worked in the… [comment unfinished]
This entire process seems ridiculous, there is a massive shortage of nurses in Australia and it’s touted as a ‘priority’ yet these new standards seem to be designed to keep people out of nursing as much as anything. At this rate how are we supposed to fill the void of nurses already required, let alone the additional numbers that will be required in aged care in just a few years time?
I have been out of nursing for over 10 years now and have been working in childcare (which is another issue!) In the childcare act and regs in Qld, nursing is stated as a qualification to work in childcare. But last year my hospital general nurse 3 yr training certificate is not accepted by my employer as I can’t practice nursing now! So I’ve been demoted to an unqualified assistant… But with years now in childcare I can do the job with my eyes closed. Maybe one day they will be telling parents they have to do a qualification before they can parent!
So this whole nursing situation and having to redo a degree/pay $10,000 etc is the modern educational world ridiculousness! Like someone said, how hard is it to do basic nursing care and to pick up other stuff would only require re-working with drugs, equipment, procedures. You don’t completely forget underlying principles of practice. There has to be some hidden agenda of the government to do this. BECAUSE THE QUESTION IS WHY IS A REFRESHER COURSE SO COMPLICATED? If the only answer is negligence/duty of care then let’s close down the health system right now. If new RNs straight from uni can get an internship, hello go figure! What would Florence Nightingale say! Real nursing comes from the heart anyway, which I’m hearing from people. Anyone can be taught a technique or steps to follow or learn a piece of info on side effects of drugs. Retraining through hospitals should be easy and straightforward, every hospital should have a retraining program set by the nursing body for particular criteria to be filled. It should be paid learning like the old hospital training for nurses. Maybe followed by a 6 month probation period. As an older person returning to nursing you have the advantage of life experience, maturity and wisdom that you don’t have in your idealist years of your twenties where the clinical thrill overrides really caring, understanding and empathising with people, which you can’t do with no life experience.
I have chosen not to go back as I’m choosing a different career path but I’m disgusted by the situation and encourage all you guys to get into the government arena. You also need the support of nursing college/university educators. With a female running this nation you need to get Julia Gillard’s attention. Maybe one day someone will come up with the idea you have to have at least one PHd, 3 MA and a couple of BAs to get the PM job!
Good luck and don’t give up.
PS – Nursing should never have been taken out of the hospitals anyway.
This article was in the SMH today..
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/costly-reentry-course-keeps-nurses-out-of-a-job-20130323-2gmhr.html
Because I decided to be an at-home mother and raise my children in what I believe to be the most important time in their development, I can not now return to the nursing profession because it has been just over five years. To regain my qualification, I would have to travel four hours to Sydney, find care for my children (as we have no family members close, and we live on a rural property), and to top it all off pay $10,000. We are a single-income family – just managing to find that extra money would be impossible! I feel like I am being punished for wanting to raise a family. I truly do not understand the complexity of all this – they are are crying out for nurses and we are here willing and able, why are we not re-trained /educated on the job?
I agree, if many courses are online, then is there a place for DE for returning-to-work nurses with student placements at the local hospital supervised by the CNEs?
Homework for us ….See link
http://humanrights.gov.au/sex_discrimination/its_about_time/chapter3.html
It’s About Time Chapter 3:
Legal protection for workers with family and carer responsibilities