Australian Government, State and Territory Health Ministers today announced the establishment of a national nursing taskforce to drive major nursing education and workforce reforms.

The National Nursing and Nursing Education Taskforce has been established to implement recommendations of Our Duty of Care, the report of the National Review of Nursing Education.

The Taskforce draws together some of Australia's leading nursing and nursing education and training specialists.

It will be chaired by Belinda Moyes, Principal Nursing Advisor, Department of Human Services, Victoria.

Taskforce members are:

Rosemary Bryant, Executive Director, Royal College of Nursing Australia;

Professor Mary Chiarella, Chief Nursing Officer, NSW;

Sue Macri, Executive Director, Australian Nursing Homes and Extended Care Association (NSW);

Fiona Stoker, Principal Nursing Advisor, Tasmania;

Professor Pauline Nugent, Head of the School of Nursing, Deakin University;

Professor Jill White, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing Midwifery and Health, University of Technology, Sydney;

Katherine Henderson, Deputy CEO, NT Department of Employment, Education and Training; and

Di Lawson, CEO, Community Services and Health Training Australia (the National Industry Training Advisory Body for Community Services and Health)

The review made 36 recommendations. A number of recommendations have been referred to the Taskforce for consideration and report back to Health Ministers. These recommendations are listed at Attachment A to this media release.

Most other recommendations have been referred to State and Territory Health Departments, the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training and subcommittees of the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council. Progress has already been made on a number of these recommendations, which are listed at Attachment B to this media release.

Recommendation 2, the establishment of a National Nursing Council, was not supported by Health Ministers. Health Ministers' considered that rather than establishing a National Nursing Council, it would be preferable to undertake national action centred on the work of a Nursing and Nursing Education Taskforce to progress agreed National Review of Nursing Education recommendations with work principally targeted to address the currently identified nursing issues.

Recommendation 22 regarding the minimum level of qualification for registered nurses was noted by Health Ministers to be current practice and did not require further action.

A budget has been provided to support the work of the Taskforce. The Taskforce Secretariat will be located in the Department of Human Services Victoria.

More information about the National Review of Nursing Education is available from www.dest.gov.au/highered/programmes/nursing/default.htm

Belinda Moyes will be available to speak to the media at: 0418 537 417.

Issued From: Office of Minister Llewellyn
Minister for Health and Human Services
Tasmania
Chair
Australian Health Ministers' Conference
Media Contact: Mr Stewart Prins (03 6233 2451)