Nurses Registration Ordinance 1973

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

AMENDMENT OF NURSES REGISTRATION

ORDINANCE 1933-1971

No. 10 of 1973

At present a person with overseas or interstate qualifications wishing to commence employment as a general or midwifery nurse or nursing aid in the Australian Capital Territory must first apply to and obtain from the Nurses Registration Board a certificate of registration in the case of a nurse or a certificate of enrolment in the case of a nursing aid.  Similarly nurses and nursing aids graduating at the Canberra Hospital are ineligible to be employed in their professional capacities until they have been registered or enrolled.  As the Nurses Registration Board meets only at intervals of approximately two months, some hardship may be caused to individual applicants through their being unable to commence work as soon as they would wish.

The Nurses Registration Board of the Australian Capital Territory accordingly recommended that the Nurses Registration Ordinance be amended to authorise the Chairman of the Board to issue certificates of provisional registration or enrolment as general nurses, midwifery nurses or nursing aids to persons trained both outside and inside the Australian Capital Territory who hold specified qualifications.  The purpose of the attached draft Ordinance is to implement that recommendation.

Applicants for the certificates of provisional registration and enrolment would be required to first lodge an application for full registration or enrolment with the Board and the provisional certificate would remain in force until that application was dealt with by the Board.

Original Initialled

Authority:	The Minister for Health vide Section 12 of the Seat of Government (Administration) Act 1910-1972.