Unsafe Practice

JCU Nursing and Midwifery is committed to person centred practice based on holistic professional nursing and midwifery models. It is the College of Health Science’s responsibility to ensure students’ practice is safe and professional whilst on PEP. It is therefore important to have a structured, objective system in place to manage any at risk, underperforming, unsafe or unprofessional behaviours arising while students participate in PEP.

Students who are deemed unready for placement will have an Action Plan for Professional Experience Placement (APPEP) prepared. Students may not proceed to professional experience placement if an active APPEP is in place or has not been satisfactorily completed.

It is important to remember students are undertaking BNSc or BNSc-BMid to learn and develop to be a registered nurse or registered midwife. Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool or Australian Midwifery Standard Assessment Tool items which reflect the NMBA Registered nurses practice standards and Registered midwives competency standards are used to assess students during PEP. It is possible a student’s learning ability is developing slowly or their practice level is of concern to the clinical facilitator, partner, coach or registered nurse or midwife. This constitutes a student ‘at risk’ of failure due to underperformance.

Unsafe professional experience is defined as:

• inadequate knowledge base to sustain safe practice
• inadequate performance of any skill, including communication
• unprofessional behaviour that places people at risk of physical harm, unreasonable emotional distress or neglect
• unlawful or unethical behaviour
• incorrect medication administration.

The clinical facilitator, coach, partner, or RN or RM will notify the subject coordinator and Academic Lead: Professional Practice in writing of the circumstances requiring student’s withdrawal from PEP. Students may be able to return on a Supported Learning Plan once the matter has been discussed with the Subject Coordinator, Academic Lead: Professional Practice and the venue’s education staff.