The NP pathway and the rules
General information only, not legal or regulatory advice; check the official NMBA page before applying.
This section explains the rules that shape the nurse practitioner (NP) pathway in Australia, in plain words, with a link to the official source for each one. Each page also says how EndorseMe can help you keep your records in order. EndorseMe does not decide whether you meet a requirement. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and its state and territory boards make decisions about registration and endorsement.
The pathway at a glance
An NP is a registered nurse whose registration has been endorsed as a nurse practitioner by the NMBA. The NMBA lists the nurse practitioner endorsement as one that includes prescribing scheduled medicines.
To be endorsed, a registered nurse must be able to show:
- Current general registration as a registered nurse in Australia, with no conditions or undertakings on their registration relating to unsatisfactory professional performance or unprofessional conduct.
- The equivalent of three years' (5,000 hours) full-time experience at an advanced practice level, within the past six years, counted from the date the NMBA receives the application.
- Successful completion of an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement as an NP (Pathway 1), or of a program the NMBA decides is substantially equivalent (Pathway 2).
- Compliance with the NMBA Nurse practitioner standards for practice.
Applicants complete the AENP-40 application form and attach supporting documents.
After endorsement, NPs keep meeting the registration standards each year, including continuing professional development (CPD), recency of practice and professional indemnity insurance. Endorsement does not give automatic access to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The authority to prescribe comes from the drugs and poisons law of the state or territory where the NP practises.
Pages in this section
| Topic | Page |
|---|---|
| Who regulates NPs, and the National Law | Ahpra, the NMBA and the National Law |
| What you need for endorsement | The endorsement registration standard |
| Advanced practice and the 5,000 hours | Advanced practice and the 5,000 hours |
| The 4 standards and 12 statements | NP standards for practice |
| Yearly learning requirements | CPD for nurse practitioners |
| Keeping your practice current | Recency of practice |
| Insurance | Professional indemnity insurance |
| English language requirements | English language skills |
| Conduct and scope decisions | Code of conduct and decision-making framework |
| Prescribing law in each state and territory | Prescribing and drugs and poisons law |
| Medicare and PBS | PBS prescribing and MBS items |
| Qualified overseas | Overseas-qualified nurses and Pathway 2 |
| Every official link in one place | Official sources |