Protected Titles
Published: 15 November 2011
Recently, the issue of some employers referring to their Enrolled Nurses as ‘Registered Staff’ or ‘Registered Nurses’ has been a topic of discussion.
Please refer to the attached FAQ from the NMBA on the matter and take particular note of the following extract:
"Only people who have met the requirements of the National Law can use a protected title.
For nurses and midwives the protected titles are:
Nurse
Registered nurse
Enrolled nurse
Nurse practitioner
Midwife
Midwife practitioner
...
Penalties apply to any contravention of these issues.
Nurses and midwives who are registered under the National Law must not knowingly or recklessly claim to be registered in any division or other part of the register than they are."
Relevant to the above, the Register of Practitioners contains the words 'Enrolled Nurse (Division 2)' in the Registration Details for every Enrolled Nurse.
The title ‘Registered Nurse’ is a protected title for Registered Nurses only and cannot be adopted by Enrolled Nurses. Using the term ‘Registered Staff’ is, at the very least, misleading and could possibly result in a notification to AHPRA.
Noting that the title ‘Nurse’ is also protected, the QNU anticipates that this provision of the National Law would also extend to any AIN who wears a name badge with the word ‘Nurse” on it, or who claims to be a nurse, and to any employers making such claims.
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