Title: Advanced Nursing Practice and Specialty Areas Within Nursing
Author: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
About
This NMBA fact sheet, published in May 2020, explains advanced nursing practice and specialty areas in Australia. It defines advanced practice as involving professional leadership, education, research, and supporting systems. Nurses in this role showcase expertise, critical thinking, and complex decision-making. They manage complex healthcare requirements within both generalist and specialist contexts.
The fact sheet also covers the regulation of nursing specialties. The NMBA's 2014 research found that international recognition methods for specialties vary, but formal regulation for registration purposes doesn't necessarily improve public safety or patient outcomes. In Australia, speciality nursing groups have established their recognition processes. These are acknowledged by employers and the wider health industry.
Author
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) authored this fact sheet. The NMBA oversees standards and practices for nurses and midwives in Australia, ensuring safety and competence.
Key Takeaways
- Advanced nursing practice in Australia incorporates leadership, education, and research.
- Nurses at this level manage complex care and decision-making in diverse settings.
- Nursing specialisation is overseen by professional groups, not directly by the NMBA.
- This model provides flexibility and responsiveness in the nursing workforce.
- The approach allows a broad range of nursing specialties, adapting to healthcare needs.
Definition of Advanced Practice
"Advanced practice: Nurses practising at an advanced practice level incorporate professional leadership, education, research and support of systems into their practice. Their practice includes relevant expertise, critical thinking, complex decision-making, autonomous practice and is effective and safe. They work within a generalist or specialist context and they are responsible and accountable in managing people who have complex healthcare requirements.
Advanced practice in nursing is demonstrated by a level of practice and is not by a job title or level of remuneration.
Advanced practice for the purpose of the nurse practitioner endorsement requires 5,000 hours clinicallybased advanced practice in the past six years."
Related: Advanced Practice Nurse: Meaning and Examples
Specialty Areas and Advanced Nursing Practice
The landscape of nurse practitioner specialties and advanced nursing practice is characterised by flexibility and diversity.
Nurse practitioner specialties are not formally defined by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). Instead, specialties are recognised by various professional bodies and health sector employers, each setting their own criteria. Nurse practitioners choose their specialty based on their clinical experience and educational background, allowing for a wide array of specialties to emerge. Common specialties include areas like acute care, cardiology, and emergency medicine.
Similarly, advanced nursing practice in Australia is defined by a blend of professional leadership, education, and research. Nurses in advanced practice roles are responsible for complex decision-making and managing people with intricate healthcare needs. They operate in either generalist or specialist contexts, adapting their expertise to meet the evolving requirements of the healthcare system and patient populations. This approach ensures that the nursing profession in Australia remains dynamic, adaptable, and responsive to the changing healthcare landscape.