Senate Suspends Debate on Nurses and Midwives Bill

The senate on Friday (January 14) suspended its debate on a Bill to Amend the Nurses and Midwives Act.While agreeing that that there was an absolute need for a regulatory framework, which preserved and protected the nursing profession and the professionals involved, there was concern about the penalties for the five offences identified in the Act. It was pointed out that the penalties for administrative breaches should be different from and less stringent than the sanctions applied for criminal offences.
Noting the difficulty, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Senator A.J. Nicholson said the matter would be referred to Ministry Officials and the Chief Parliamentary Counsel for further discussion. The Senate refrained from concluding the debate so as to allow for the discussions after which the Bill is to be returned to the Senate at a date to be fixed.
The Bill, piloted by State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture, Noel Monteith, seeks to amend the Act to make provision for registered nurses, midwives, mental nurses and assistant nurses to be licensed biannually as a prerequisite to the continuous practice of their profession.
Addressing concerns raised by the Opposition regarding the renewal fees and the required hours for continuous study Senator Monteith informed that the fee structure was already being used and as such the Bill served only to regularize the practice. He further disclosed that assurances had been given by experts in the field as to the feasibility of nurses engaging in continued studies.
At present in Jamaica nurses and midwives are registered for life and assistant nurses enrolled for life unless the registration or enrollment is suspended.
Senator Monteith said the periodic renewal of licenses for persons practising midwifery is being increasingly practised in developed and developing countries as it was recognized as one way of assuring the public of the integrity of the services and care the professionals provide.
The primary purpose of the renewal of the licence is to seek to ensure basic standards of safe practice and accountability by the group of professionals, the requirement for renewal being the achievement of specific hours of continuing education and training.Senator Monteith told the Upper House that the requirement was based on the belief that lifelong learning was an essential component of continued professional competence.
The validity of each licence issued would be for two-year period during which each person will be required to participate in at least 30 hours of specified training for persons licenced in one category only, 40 hours for double licencees and 45 hours for triple licencees. The Education State Minister said this would further allow for members of the professions to be able to keep abreast of developments taking place in their respective fields. The registration process attracts a $2,000 fee.
The Bill also serves to amend the Act to increase the fines for a first, second or subsequent offence for practising as a nurse, midwife or assistant nurse without being registered or enrolled or if the individual has been suspended, to a fine not exceeding $20,000.
Consequent on the amendments to the act, the 1966 Nurses and Midwives regulations are also amended. The Bill to amend the Act was passed in the House of Representatives last November with three amendments and was piloted by Health Minister John Junor.