The Association’s professional team answer your questions about professional issues, your rights and responsibilities.
Support at a coronial inquest
There was an unexpected and unexplained death at work that was reported to the coroner. I was on duty at the time. What do I do? Can the NSWNMA help me?
Your membership with the NSWNMA provides you with legal representation for coronial inquests. Please call to speak to one of our legal officers, who will advise and support you through the process with the police, provide a statement to the coroner, prepare you to give evidence in court, and represent you at the Coroners Court if you are a party of sufficient interest.
Even if you are required to appear as a witness only, the NSWNMA will provide advice and support to you during the coronial process.
When there is an unexpected death there is also a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) or Serious Adverse Event Review (SAER) process. There may even be a fact-finding or Managing Complaints and Concerns about Clinicians (MCCC) process. This can be overwhelming. The NSWNMA member rights centre can provide support, so please reach out.
Sometimes while the coronial and employer investigations are happening there can be a complaint to the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC). If this occurs the NSWNMA can advise, assist and represent you at the HCCC and also at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Rules around recency of practice
I am taking a career break. What do I need to do to ensure I maintain my registration?
Nurses and midwives are required to maintain recency of practice by ensuring they have completed a minimum of 450 hours of practice within the last five (5) years for each registration they hold. These hours of practice do not need to be continuous, as long as the hours are accumulated over the previous five-year period.
As per the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA’s) definition of practice, this applies for both clinical and non-clinical practice roles for nurses and midwives: “Practice means any role, whether remunerated or not, in which the individual uses their skills and knowledge as a health practitioner in their profession. Practice in this context is not restricted to the provision of direct clinical care. It also includes using professional knowledge (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 the safe, effective delivery of services in the profession”.
You are also required to maintain a minimum of 20 hours of CPD for each current registration you hold, annually, for the registration period of 1 June to 31 May.
For more information visit the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s website.