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Do not discard your 2010 Queensland Nursing Council Annual Licence Certificate Registered nurses who previously held an authority to supply medicines under an Immunisation program and/or Sexual health program must keep their 2010 Queensland Nursing Council (QNC), Annual Licence Certificate (ALC), as a record of completing an approved course. It is recommended that the ALC is kept in your professional portfolio for safe keeping. The interim transition arrangements will continue, as circulated in June/July 2010 (refer to current transition arrangements). It is anticipated that the ongoing arrangements will be released later in July 2011, with a 12 month implementation period. |
As the Immunisation program and Sexual Health program authorisations did not transition to the national scheme Queensland Health amended the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996 (Regulation). These amendments enabled registered nurses authorised under the Immunisation program and Sexual Health program to continue to supply medications under an approved drug therapy protocol (DTP) after 30 June 2010. In July 2010, correspondence was sent to employers and education providers to advise them of the interim transition arrangements.
Listed below are the required authorisations under the Regulation and the meaning of a DTP:
immunisation program nurse means a registered nurse who:
(a) immediately before 1 July 2010, held an annual licence certificate endorsed under the Nursing Act 1992 that authorised the registered nurse to practise in an immunisation program; or
(b) has obtained a qualification in immunisation approved by the chief executive.
sexual health program nurse means a registered nurse who:
(a) immediately before 1 July 2010, held an annual licence certificate endorsed under the Nursing Act 1992 that authorised the registered nurse to practise in a sexual health program; or
(b) has obtained a qualification in sexual health approved by the chief executive.
A DTP means a certified document published by the department stating circumstances in which, and conditions under which, a person who may act under the protocol may use a stated controlled or restricted drug or poison for stated purposes.
If you previously held an Immunisation program and/or Sexual Health endorsement with the QNC, these authorities were endorsed onto the 2010 QNC annual licence certificate (ALC) for this current renewal period. As these authorities did not transition to the national scheme, the 2011 Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) ALC does not identify these authorities. Therefore, please retain your 2010 QNC annual licence certificate (ALC) as confirmation of your endorsement with the QNC to provide to employers as evidence when requested.
In this interim transition period 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2012 authorisation to supply medications under a DTP is based on evidence of completing a course approved by the Chief Executive. For this interim transition period, current and past courses accredited by the QNC are recognised as Chief Executive approved courses. Employers will be required to ensure clinical governance arrangements are in place to ensure registered nurses have completed the approved courses to be authorised to supply medications under the relevant DTP and in accordance with organisational policy.
Registered nurses must provide evidence of completing an approved course at the request of their employer.
It is the responsibility of all nurses and midwives to maintain a professional portfolio that provides evidence of all qualifications they have completed and continuing professional development activities undertaken to maintain competence. You must keep your expired QNC ALC and if available your certificate of course completion within your professional portfolio as ongoing evidence of completing a relevant QNC accredited course, as past QNC education providers no longer have records and the QNC database has been archived.
Work on developing a suitable model for re-accrediting existing and new education courses for immunisation and sexual health program nurses has not been finalised. Therefore, the chief executive (Director-General) has recognised and re-approved the former Queensland Nursing Council (QNC) approved courses and qualifications until the 30 June 2012, thereby maintaining continuity and continued service provision..
Further information about approved courses and qualifications will be provided in a future Update.
Correspondence has been sent to employers and education providers to advise them of the extended approval of the courses.
Drug Therapy Protocol Immunisation Program Nurse
Drug Therapy Protocol Sexual Health Program Nurse
The drug therapy protocol is contained in section 8 of the Queensland Health Sexual Health Clinical Management Guidelines.
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