Professional indemnity insurance update

Extract from communication sent on behalf of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

A revised Professional Indemnity Insurance Arrangements Registration Standard for Nurses and Midwives will be in place from the 10 January 2012. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (the Board or NMBA) reviewed the registration standard in place from the 1 July 2010 in response to stakeholder queries about the clarity of the requirements across a range of practice settings. The new registration standard was approved by the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council on 11 November 2011.

The revised registration standard:

• will ensure all nurses and midwives are able to practice in accordance with legislative and professional practice requirements
• will be included in the NMBA Safety and Quality Framework for the regulation of midwives including privately practicing midwives providing planned homebirths, and
• is supported by the updated and comprehensive guidelines for midwives.

The registration standard can be accessed at www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/registration-standards.aspx (external site)

The Guidelines for Professional Indemnity Insurance Arrangements for Midwives can be accessed at www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/codes-guidelines-statements/code-guidelines.aspx (external site)