South Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers Alliance (SPCNMOA) Accreditation Workshop

On October 15th 2018, members of South Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers (SPCNMOA)  and the team from WHO CC UTS (WHO Collaborating Centre University of Technology Sydney) organised a workshop to discuss changes needed for regional accreditation for nursing and midwifery. From there, a list of positive directives, program gaps and recommendations were developed during the workshop, with SPCNMOA assigned as acting coordinator. WHO CC UTS collaborated with ANMAC (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council) for this event and assembled to evaluate accreditation issues impacting nursing and midwifery services. Regional legislations and regulations were discussed by 25 Chief Nurses and Midwives, public health representatives and senior leaders from 16 countries in the South Pacific including Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Palau, Marshall Islands, American Samoa.

From the workshop, positive directions for accreditation that were identified included: recognition for a regional accreditation approach with underlying universal standards, movement towards more Bachelor programs (Quality framework 7 & 8) and improvements in accreditation, regulation and adding more local accreditation bodies in the Pacific. Gaps identified were listed as follows: variations in post registration programs, quality of the ungraduated nursing programs, the need to strengthen independent accreditation processes across the Pacific and the lack of set of generic standards. 

Nominating that SPCNMOA act as a coordinator (with WHO CC UTS as Secretariat) for proposed models to solve issues in regional accreditation, the first task agreed upon was to establish a working group of members from all across the Pacific region. A set of recommendations to progress this important regional accreditation work were also agreed upon.

Final overarching recommendations from the workshop: 

  • Agreement on a regional approach with links to country-based systems.
  • Develop standards that meet regional needs.
  • Develop framework that covers undergraduates and postgraduates.
  • Observe links/partnerships existing between Australia/NZ and Pacific Universities.
  • Look at the alignment of Australia/NZ qualifications framework with Pacific qualifications framework including consideration of Northern Pacific (US System).
  • Set up an SPCNMOA working group. 
Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.