Developing an Australian framework for scope of practice decisions by nurses and midwives - lessons for cross-border...

Area of Science:

• Health Policy
• Nursing and Midwifery Standards
• Professional Regulation

Background:

• No universally accepted cross-border decision-making guides exist for nursing and midwifery scope of practice.
• Developing a national framework in Australia's federal system necessitated broad consultation and consensus-building.
• Professional differentiation and varied jurisdictional understanding of scope of practice posed challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline lessons learned in cross-border standard development for nursing and midwifery decision-making tools.
• To describe the creation of the Australian National Framework for the Development of Decision-Making Tools for Nursing and Midwifery (National DMF).

Main Methods:

• A consultative policy development framework was employed.
• Thematic analysis of written feedback and focus group input informed the National DMF.

Main Results:

• A widely accepted National DMF was developed for Australian nurses and midwives.
• The framework supports planned professional practice changes based on professional judgment and consumer collaboration.

Conclusions:

• Consensus-driven development influenced the consultation process and outcomes.
• A nationally consistent framework with decision-making tools and implementation principles was achieved.
• Identified factors influencing cross-border standard development for future national or international professional standards.