CREDENTIAL FOR PRACTICE PROGRAM
View credentialing brochure
INFORMATION
Credentialing
Being a credentialed mental health nurse identifies you as having achieved a particular standard. It indicates to employers, professional peers, consumers, and other stakeholders, what might reasonably be expected from you and that an evaluation of your individual performance against the relevant practice standards has been undertaken.
Entry to nursing practice in Australia is governed by nursing and midwifery regulatory authorities (Boards) under State or Territory legislation. Governance refers to all those legitimate and appropriate means - governmental, professional, and private – whereby order, consistency, identity, and control are brought to the profession (ICN, 1998).
Credentialing is a core component of clinical/professional governance or self regulation where members of a profession set standards for practice and establish a minimum requirement for entry, continuing professional development, endorsement and recognition. Registered nurses working in specialised fields and other disciplines have developed credentialing as a means to ensure standards of practice and competence within their specialist domain beyond entry to practice.
Credentialing articulates standards of practice at individual practitioner level – the object being to:
- Improve professional accountability, transparency and autonomy
- Focus on evidence based practice and mental health outcomes
- Commit to ongoing education and practice development
- Safeguard quality of health care delivery
- Uphold standards of the profession and ethical practice
- Protect human rights and choices
- Maintain public trust and confidence
(ACMHN, 2002)
Becoming a Credentialed Mental Health Nurse (MHN)
The ACMHN Credential for Practice Program is only available to currently registered nurses*. This is an essential requirement. If you have not undertaken a nursing course leading to registration as a nurse, and if you have never practiced as a registered nurse, you may need to approach another professional organisation for a credential. If you are unsure of your status, please contact the ACMHN.
If you are a registered nurse practising within the mental health field in Australia, you may apply to be credentialed as a Mental Health Nurse. Once assessed, and if approved, a 3-year credential is awarded and you will be entitled to use the title Mental Health Nurse (MHN). The award means you are formally recognised by the ACMHN as a specialist mental health nurse.
In order to meet the requirements and standards you must provide evidence of the following:
- A current licence to practice as a registered nurse in Australia
- A specialist or post-graduate mental health nursing qualification, or demonstrate equivalence
- Minimum of 3 years experience as a registered nurse in mental health or 12 months experience since having undertaken a specialist/postgraduate qualification
- Recency of practice
- Continuing professional education and practice development in the preceding 3 years.
Practice may be clinical, educational, academic, management, health administration, research, consultancy, policy or advisory (public or private) and must be within, directly concerned with or have a key focus on mental health. (* In Victoria, RN Div 1 or 3).
For more information, read the Guidelines for Credentialing (hyperlink) which can be found in the Credentialing Application (hyperlink) section.
Background
The ACMHN Credential for Practice Program (CPP) was launched nationally in Canberra at the College’s 12th Annual Oration and Investiture at Old Parliament House on 22 September 2004.
The Program was piloted in Tasmania and validated by research and a national series of workshops in 2002–2003. It was also informed by a review of international literature, programs conducted by other professional bodies including nursing, medical and allied health, and recommendations from Self-Regulation and Credentialing in Mental Health Nursing: A Report to the Nursing Board of Tasmania, ACMHN and the University of Tasmania (Hazelton, Farrell & Biro, 1998).
The CPP is governed by the Board of Credentialing, which is responsible for clinical governance, and accountable to College Council.
Application Enquiries
Email: frances.gray@acmhn.org
Tel: 1300 667 079
Fax: 02 6285 2166
All documents for the ACMHN Credential for Practice Program are copyrighted to the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced or copied in any form without permission except as provided under the Copyright Act, 1968 (Clth). or for credentialing applications only.
