I recently obtained a job as a registered nurse in a nursing home operated by Opal Aged Care. I hold an additional qualification that is related to my duties at the facility. Are these recognised in some way?
Clause 18.5 (Continuing Education Allowance) in the Opal Aged Care (NSW) Enterprise Agreement 2016 sets out that a registered nurse or enrolled nurse who holds a qualification in a clinical field, in addition to the qualification leading to registration or enrolment, shall be paid an allowance subject to certain conditions. The most important is that the qualification must be accepted by the employer to be directly relevant to the competency and skills used by the employee in the duties of the position. The allowances payable are set out in Schedule D of the agreement and vary depending on whether they are a postgraduate certificate, diploma or degree.