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Performance Assessment
The Nurses and Midwives Amendment (Performance Assessment) Act 2004 commenced on 2 April 2007.
The "professional performance" of a nurse or midwife is defined by legislation as referring to "the knowledge, skill or care possessed and applied by the nurse or midwife in the practice of nursing or midwifery". The professional performance of a nurse or midwife is unsatisfactory "if it is below the standard reasonably expected of a nurse or midwife of an equivalent level of training or experience".
Performance assessment processes are not intended to deal with serious matters. A serious matter, that raises a significant issue of public health or safety or which raises a prima facie case of professional misconduct or unsatisfactory conduct by a nurse or midwife, must be dealt with as a complaint under usual processes and cannot be referred for performance assessment. Similarly a nurse or midwife being investigated by the Health Care Complaints Commission cannot be referred for performance assessment unless agreed between the Board and the Commission.
Previously there was no mechanism to deal with less serious matters, which may indicate that professional performance is unsatisfactory but which are not sufficiently serious to be dealt with as complaints. Performance assessment processes will enable identified concerns about nurses and midwives’ knowledge, skill and care to be addressed so that the public is protected. The process will also assist nurses and midwives by intervening before a serious matter occurs.
Further information is available in the Reference Manual recently published by the Board.
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