Developing professionally: with the advent of competence-based annual practising certificates, nurses need to undertake regular professional development. There are many opportunities for such education and development.

NZNO regularly receives enquiries from members wanting contact details for education programmes, conferences and seminars. A good way to start such a search is with tertiary education providers.

Accessing the Nursing Council's website (www.nursingcouncil.org.nz) will direct you to a list of all tertiary education institutions which provide nursing and/or midwifery programmes. You can also rind further links on each education provider's website to other short courses and postgraduate courses.

NZNO's professional colleges and sections know of many specialty courses. The national and regional committees of the colleges and sections may hold databases of these courses and knowledge of what is on and whom to contact for registration. NZNO has 23 colleges and sections, all of which are listed on NZNO's website (www.nzno.org.nz). The contact details for national and regional committees are also available through the website.

NZNO's website also has a calendar of events. Links to this can be found on the homepage. On this you will rind the colleges' and sections' national conferences, as well as NZNO's annual conference, which this year is being held on September 21-22 in Auckland. A list of up and coming conferences and seminars is published regularly in Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand or is available on www.kaitiakiads.co.nz.

NZNO's library produces a daily email newsletter. The newsletter contains links to national and international news items relating to the nursing, health and industrial issues that may be of interest to readers. Included are notifications of upcoming seminars, conferences and training opportunities, both here and overseas; new items added to the library collection; links to new reports published online; the journals received by the library and articles of interest within those. Requests to be added to the newsletter may be directed to the library. This service is available only to NZNO members.

Regular or adhoc forums on professional and industrial issues are advertised by regional offices or regional councils. All NZNO members are invited to attend regional council meetings, held on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.

Travelling throughout New Zealand are NZNO's educators, Rob Haultain and Andrea Kelleher. They provide employment-related education to delegates. Current topics include effective delegates, getting members involved, working with members' issues and disciplinary procedures. All employees belonging to a union are entitled to employment-related education leave (EREL). To apply for this, contact your regional NZNO office.

A sentiment expressed at many nursing graduation ceremonies is that passing your Final nursing exams and gaining registration as a registered, enrolled or nurse assistant symbolises the beginning of a life-long journey of learning. This is reinforced by the Health Practitioners' Competence Assurance Act (2003) (1) and subsequent reflection of this in new requirements for annual practising certificates. (2) All nurses must make an annual declaration that includes stating whether they have undertaken 60 hours of professional development over the last three years. According to Nursing Council, professional development includes activities within the work environment or within an educational context. (3) It must be relevant to a nurse's practice and include activities such as degree papers, short courses, seminars, conferences, or in-service education. Nursing Council would like all evidence of professional development to be verified (4) and a template to assist you with this is available on the council's website.

Within the DHB/NZNO Multi-Employer Collective Agreement there are provisions for nurses, midwives, health care assistants (HCAs) and hospital aides to access professional development leave. For full-time registered and enrolled nurses and/or midwives there is up to 24 hours' leave a year. Part-time employees are entitled to this leave on a pro-rata basis. This leave is in addition to leave for nurses and midwives to prepare portfolios and obtain or maintain skills associated with the professional development and recognition programme. Leave for undertaking this is one day per year for proficient level and two days a year for expert/accomplished level Eight hours leave a year is available for health care assistants and hospital aids who are preparing to apply for merit steps.

The MECA has further provisions for existing arrangements, meeting organisational and service requirements and for new graduates and senior nurses/midwives. (8)

During 2004 Nursing Council updated the documents relating to competencies for all scopes of practice, to incorporate the HPCA Act. (6,7,8) Following consultation last year Nursing Council is expected to release the new competencies for the registered nurse soon.

References

(1) Health Practitioners Competency Assurance Act (2003). Wellington: New Zealand Government.

(2) Nursing Council of New Zealand, (2004) News Update. Wellington: The Author

(3) Nursing Council of New Zealand http://www.nursingcouncilorg.nz/contcomp.html. Accessed 20/05/05

(4) Doole P, Personal communication: 19/04/05.

(5) District Health Boards/NZNO Nurses' and Midwives' Multi-Employer Collective Agreement. July 1, 2004-December 31, 2006.

(6) Nursing Council of New Zealand (Amended 2004), Competencies for the registered nurse scope of practice. Wellington: The Author

(7) Nursing Council of New Zealand (Amended 2004), Competencies for nurse assistant/enrolled nurse scope of practice. Wellington: The Author.

(8) Nursing Council of New Zealand (Amended 2004), Competencies for nurse practitioners. Wellington: The Author.