NZNA_AnnualReport2017_280817_v10_small

Competence Reviews
Key Results: 2016–2017
32
inquiries completed:
13 needed
competence
reviews
19 required
no further action
50
new notifications were
received by the Council
about the competence
of nurses
13
competence
reviews conducted
Response to notifications of competence concerns
The Council must inquire into all
notifications it receives about nurses’
competence and determine what action,
if any, will be required to ensure the
nurses practise at the standard required
to protect the safety of the public.
Employers generally address any
competence concerns about nurses
in their employment with performance
improvement plans or similar processes.
However, where the concerns about the
competence of a nurse are more serious,
or the nurse has been unable to sustain
any improvement in practice following
additional education and support, a
notification to the Council may be required.
Where a nurse is dismissed or resigns
for reasons related to competence, their
employer must notify the Council of the
reasons for that dismissal or resignation.
The Health and Disability Commissioner
is also required to notify the Council if
he or she has reason to believe that a
nurse may pose a risk of harm to the
public by practising below the required
standard of competence. Referrals may
also be made by PCCs or any health
practitioner. Other sources of notification
include self-notification, members of the
public, the Ministry of Health, overseas
regulatory authorities, the recertification
audit process and a Health Committee
or Professional Conduct Committee. The
Council may also review the competence
of a nurse with an APC at any time.
In the 2016-2017 year the
Council received notifications
about the competence of 50
nurses. This is a very small
proportion of nurses practising:
0.09% of the 55,289 nurses with
APCs at the end of March 2017.
It is a decrease from the previous year,
when 77 nurses were referred. Most of
the notifications (43 of 50) came from
employers.
Annual Report 2017 | 45