Transcript DANA and Credentialling

DANA Credentialling Survey
Results
Responses by DANA Chapter
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Do You Consider a Credentialling Program for Drug and
Alcohol Nurses as Being Important?
NO
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I have seen what has occurred to Mental Health Nurses. Their college pays more attention to
credentialling rather than the grass roots professional issues. Probably because it has become a
cash cow for their college! Also in QLD and the federal MHNIP nurses can’t be employed now unless
they buy a credential from their college. This is not voluntary and NOT what I want for DANA
There is a flipside to credentialling because it limits the number of people who can work in the field
making it difficult to recruit. As long as credentialling is not compulsory to working in AOD then it is
OK. While I would encourage all people who work in AOD to be credentialed I don't think it should be
subject of employment.
Of the four credentialing criteria that are suggested three are covered by the new national registration
requirements i.e. recency of practice; education requirements; continuing professional development.
I think that Drug and Alcohol nurses are already credentialled via their specific post graduate tertiary
qualifications and continuing education. I think legislation should protect the title "Drug and Alcohol
Clinician" and be linked to post graduate tertiary qualifications.
There are a lack of Drug and Alcohol Nurses in Australia and New Zealand. We need more education
in Drug and Alcohol Nursing and a greater increase in numbers before we start imposing strictures
upon our population base. Having further bureaucratic obligations in addition to those imposed by
AHPRA will not further the cause of Drug and Alcohol Nursing. We need more education and more
people drawn into the profession.
I feel this is just another money making scheme that only benefits the organisation and not the
individual
Do You Consider a Credentialling Program for Drug and
Alcohol Nurses as Being Important?
YES
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It would demonstrate that my practice is current, competent and in line with best practice standards;
ultimately aiming to improve outcomes for clients.
Can be recognition for experience and ongoing training
This is an important process but after speaking to peers I think we should be mindful of the fact that
many nurses have been "put off" from applying for credentialling in other fields because of the shear
amount of paper work! I also believe that training/education is essential but the cost and access to
appropriate courses is problematic for many nurses.
Recognition of service and if transferring to other jobs in the same sector will assist in validation of
service
Standardisation, promotion of best practice and continuing education
As with mental health, credentialling will enable a national standard to be maintained and let others
know you have attained a standard to practice.
Credentialling can serve to promote career advancement, open up employment prospects and signal
that you are a leader in your specialty area of nursing.
To set a standard. Offer members somewhere to head. Keep up with the College of MHN. Use the
College's list of activities as a good starting point professional recognition
After 25yrs in A&D I still believe that our clients are a mix of Medical as well as MH and dependence
issues. It is important to be able to identify levels of experience within the field of drug and alcohol for
career advancement and for financial reward. Having credentials in an area often validates the work
that is being done by the professional. It will also lead to standardise care and delivery. It unites a
group of people who can then use this platform to lobby for more support in the sector.
Do You Consider a Credentialling Program for Drug and
Alcohol Nurses as Being Important?
YES
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To identify and qualify what we do
Uniform standards and specialty recognition for Drug and Alcohol Nurses.
This could give weight to the years of experience that some members in the field have. If one is
credentialled in another field could that be accounted for in the DANA credentialling.
Provide recognition and substantiation of knowledge and skills.
This is now important for many specialist nursing groups It can complement the DANA Standards.
May assist with rural areas to attract D&A nurses to shared-care models with GPs Develop further
clinical leadership within services.
For professional recognition for individual nurses; for employers; to attract nurses into specialty.
It would provide a professional platform and deem D&A nurses as having a standard.
Professional Recognition. Improved Clinical decision making. Identifying alcohol and drug addiction
as a serious mental illness which can be just as debilitating as schizophrenia and other mental health
disorders. Improved measurability of professional and clinical standards.
It provides a level of professionalism and perhaps confidence in the wider community that a certain
level of knowledge has been obtained.
With the changes in funding/ federal funding models it is important to be recognised.
This will enhance recognition for the specialist care that D&A patients require. Supports the
development of specialty training and education for this field of nursing.
Drug and Alcohol Nurses work with complex clients, who mainly have a dual diagnosis.
Do You Consider a Credentialling Program for Drug and
Alcohol Nurses as Being Important?
YES
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I believe that evidence based practice is a most important part of one's ongoing training and
expertise. Credentialling provides this scope thereby ensuring members are kept up to date with best
practice so enabling them to support their clients more proactively
Fills a gap in standardising training. Professional development tool.
Drug and Alcohol is for me one of the most important areas of nursing because the way drugs and
alcohol affect the life of people. If there were no treatment for them the only place they will end up is
in goal or dead.
Enhances our professional identity
Consistency and recognition of best of practice across Australia
As a Credentialled Mental Health Nurse, who also specialises in D&A, I can see many benefits. The
first is that you have recognition for your speciality and also because this will open many doors for the
specialist. One of the benefits may be, to achieve funding from Medicare to work independently as a
D&A Counsellor under the ATAPS scheme.
Extremely important in these times of change in the public health system. Many of the D&A areas
are being swallowed up by Mental Health and we need to make ourselves stand out as specialist
D&A practitioners. I think that offering this program would help DANA grow as a peak body as well.
It is great to be able to offer experienced D&A nurses some sort of recognition for their knowledge
and expertise even if they don't have the formal qualifications through academic achievements as
well.
Do You Consider that a Credentialling Program Would
be of Benefit to You?
NO
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We need to support recognition via National Registration not create something separate
I hold post graduate in counselling, masters in research and evaluation and grad cert in research and
evaluation. I continually update my knowledge and participate in continuous quality improvement and
deliver sustainable projects. Credentialling will be on top of what I have to do. I am already ensuring
that my annual 20 hours PD includes AOD.
Currently I don't see the need for this, particularly if it's voluntary. Nursing is already so regulated.
A big waste of time and energy. The draft set of standards are far too general or generic in nature and
just a lot of bureaucratic and academic speak.
Anyone can be "credentialled" by ticking off basic skills. More paperwork and expense
I am also a mental health nurse. Prior to disastrous decisions by the Australian College of Mental
Health Nursing, I was a Registered Psychiatric Nurse in South Australia. And proud of it. The College
of Mental Health Nursing decided not to have a separate register for mental health nurses and
substituted Credentialling within the College. Midwives continue to have a separate registration.
Credentialling for mental health nurses was supposed to differentiate registered nurses from those
with special qualifications in mental health nursing. Credentialling for mental health nurses has not
been effective. Employers take absolutely no notice of whether one is a credentialled mental health
nurse or a registered nurse with a qualification in mental health. If Credentialling has not worked for
Mental Health Nurses (which have a much larger population) why would it be effective for Drug and
Alcohol Nursing?
My nursing career will end over the next 10 years.
Do You Consider that a Credentialling Program Would
be of Benefit to You?
YES
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Yes, it would help to maintain currency of drug and alcohol nursing, demonstrate my
professionalism and gain professional recognition in the workplace.
This process may lift the profile of D&A nurses thus encouraging other nurses to commit to the
process.
By being recognises as a credentialed member of this field of service would contribute to CPD.
I doubt I would meet the criterion because I don’t clinically work in the Drug & Alcohol field, but in
mental health.
This will enable me to offer my patients assurance that my practice is current and I have attained a
nationally recognised standard.
Importantly, credentialling would allow us to be accountable for my own professional standards
through self regulation of our my specialty area of nursing.
Maybe not sure
Can see a need for specialists in GP and other OP clinics as there is very few IP beds specifically
for withdrawal management.
Validation and future employment prospects.
Need to be all on the same page.
The MH umbrella does not fit the requirements of DAN
Have worked in the field for over 20 years. Numerous qualifications.
I am unsure though as I am a professor and my role is research
Do You Consider that a Credentialling Program Would
be of Benefit to You?
YES
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Would assist competency-based professional development of pub health services, provide high level
consistency of role across large services
Would benefit in terms of encouraging ongoing professional development
Depending on time frame etc
Medical and Nursing peers in D&A sometimes don't see your knowledge and skills until they know
you, by having a credentialling program provides them with a set of pre-existing knowledge.
Acceptance amongst Peers. Will help to more proactive in multi disciplinary health care delivery.
Provide professional standing amongst peers and patients.
Direction for professional studies and possibly better professional recognition.
Provides a clear career pathway and opportunities for research and other endeavours within this
specialty area of nursing. Provides a workforce benchmark for employment into speciality areas.
Increase my confidence and capacity to practice safely.
It is important for consumers to be aware that the nurse looking after them has specialised skills and
knowledge
As a mental health nurse providing inpatient psycho-education programs I am finding that a majority of
our clients have in fact dual diagnosis. Your program would provide me with additional specialist skill
base/broader network of colleagues to discuss more detailed evidence based practice scenarios and
hopefully provide that "leading edge" approach to treatment/mget of clients
Not in a direct client care role.
Do You Consider that a Credentialling Program Would
be of Benefit to You?
YES
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Sets training goals for me that will match my chorts skills and development needs
When I was younger yes, now I am closed to my retirement age and looking forward to it.
Would help professionally and possibly be favourable for prospective employers
Recognition of being accepted as working in a specialist area
Because that is one of my areas of speciality, I believe that it will not only provide recognition of that, but
provide me with ongoing support and opportunities in this area.
It would help prove that I am a specialist nurse with specialist skills and an advanced practitioner in my
field. It would help me look attractive to employers if I am applying for a new position as a D&A nurse.
Before committing to participate, what specific
questions would you like answered?
From those against the concept…
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Why are we even considering this? I think it would be a distraction and even have the potential to create
a sense of elitism, thats not what we are about
Why make more hoops for nurses to jump through? Already so regulated and defined, need to do 20
hours/year of ongoing Continuing Professional Development, ongoing study, please don't make it harder
for ATOD nurses
I would not be interested in participating. Sustaining any program over time and keeping any set of
standards contemporary would be difficult.
This will be a lot of talk and a lot of meetings. The process by which Drug and Alcohol Nurses become
credentialled will be laborious and require much paper shuffling. And it will amount to little.
You claim it will be voluntary, Do you foresee this being mandatory for AOD nurses in the future? Why
must one be a member of DANA to get this at a discounted rate? I feel it should be equal for all. Same
cost for every applicant.
Before committing to participate, what specific
questions would you like answered?
From those in favour of the concept…
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Will there be more workshops , and Seminars in New Zealand?
How do you intend to do this and how will it be implemented to state nurses through the health service?
None at this stage as have read email which has answered my questions thus far
How long it will take to complete, how often it needs to be undertaken, how much it is going to cost.
How Credentialling will benefit nurses whom specialise in Drug and Alcohol Treatment
What are the professional benefits for a credentialed nurse? Do we intend to suggest that only
credentialled nurses should be employed in the field?
What are the requirements to being credentialled, does one have to have specific qualifications or is
years of practice sufficient?
An understanding of the work involved, the content and structure of the credentialling process
what will the award be titled? - will the Credential be recognised by DoHA or another govt agency for
private work? - will the credential allow people to apply to work in programs as specialist A&D nurses? will there be a credential for ENs? - will DANA produce prof development activities for cred nurses
only?
Will overseas qualifications be recognised.
The criteria needs to be clear and unambiguous. ACMHN changed their early last year and have left in
hospital based training certificate, then say a Diploma is a minimum, confusing
Before committing to participate, what specific
questions would you like answered?
From those in favour of the concept…
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After a nurse credentialled, will this be able to be used to gain weight to restructure positions with the
current employer?
What the process is and who will determine who is credentialled. What qualifications are needed.
How will a credentialled AOD Nurse be identified by peers and colleagues to ensure recognition?
What will be involved? Will it be available over distance?
How long and involved the process would be?
Length of time and cost
How to implement Drug and Alcohol components as compulsory into the curriculum for nurses
Understand the processes involved and ability to obtain credits needed for practice in this field.
How will the credentiallers be selected. Who will determine their credentials.
How has this benefitted other nursing specialists and what improvements would they suggest
If GPs employ us can the GP get Medicare fee to have clients see us, as mental health credentialled
nurses do.
How lengthy and how time consuming will the process be? The process for mental health nurse
credentialling is very daunting.
The process and cost .
Will there be levels & how will they be determined?
How will we campaign and or advertise that we are now credentialled? DANA / APSAD and other
conferences.
Before committing to participate, what specific
questions would you like answered?
From those in favour of the concept…
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After a nurse credentialled, will this be able to be used to gain weight to restructure positions with the
current employer?
What the process is and who will determine who is credentialled. What qualifications are needed.
How will a credentialled AOD Nurse be identified by peers and colleagues to ensure recognition?
What will be involved? Will it be available over distance?
How long and involved the process would be?
Length of time and cost
How to implement Drug and Alcohol components as compulsory into the curriculum for nurses
Understand the processes involved and ability to obtain credits needed for practice in this field.
How will the credentiallers be selected. Who will determine their credentials.
How has this benefitted other nursing specialists and what improvements would they suggest
If GPs employ us can the GP get Medicare fee to have clients see us, as mental health credentialled
nurses do.
How lengthy and how time consuming will the process be? The process for mental health nurse
credentialling is very daunting.
The process and cost .
Will there be levels & how will they be determined?
How will we campaign and or advertise that we are now credentialled? DANA / APSAD and other
conferences.
Before committing to participate, what specific
questions would you like answered?
From those in favour of the concept…
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The costs involved. The process of credentialing. (making it a user friendly rather than and exhaustive
process).
Credentialling committees need to sit apart from but be accountable to the DANA Exec Committee.
What does DANA see as the governance arrangement it would implement? Fees for credentialling for
members and non members should be determined by how long
The cost of the program, how long credentialling will be for, who is ascertaining the level required
Outline of the program. The cost and time period of the program
Cost, Time commitment, Full understanding of expectations, Accessibility to any extra study or
experience for rural nurses.
What planning has DANA in place to ensure that their committee to undertake the process will be
professional and coherent when an application is being researched and evaluated?
Cost involved Timeframe Available support
Time and cost to prepare, What will it give me as far as workforce development opportunities within NSW
Health, if any? Will I need to consider further study requirements, eg Masters Degree etc?
Mainly from a practical point of view I would need to understand the process and what I need to
undertake, the steps I guess. I don't work in a clinical role currently but wish to maintain my confidence to
practice.
I think it should be voluntary, and not related to employment outcomes.
Before committing to participate, what specific
questions would you like answered?
From those in favour of the concept…
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Our time as mental health nurses is already stretched to the "limit" and I am constantly seeking ways to
be proactive in delivering a best practice approach to care...How will the DANA program assist me with
this goal?
What are the requirements?
I have no specific questions at this time. I have been to information session on this topic
Exactly what will it give me or is the process idealistic
Would this be like auditing a nurse in the area of AOD?
How would the assessment process occur? Who would the assessor be? How would this be determined
given that no one within DANA is currently credentialed?
would the credentialing program provide access to Medicare under mental health programs would it be
the equivalent of mental health can it establish the standards that all must have inclusive of mental health
so that mental health credentialed nurses must be credentialed under drug and alcohol to work in dual
diagnosis and deliver drug treatment / programs
That the Investigatory/Implementing Team will explore the many avenues of opportunity that will be
available; as well as extended support and Supervision.
No further questions at this stage. Several have been raised which I have noted down during the few
presentations that we have already run through DANA networks.