NMBA Revises English Language Skills Registration Standard for Nurses and Midwives (2025)

The nurses and midwives board of Australia (NMBA) are changing the Registration Standard for English language skills on 18 March 2025. This update outlines the specific processes for demonstrating English language skills which is required for initial registration as a nurse or midwife in Australia.

The updated standard covers all initial applicants to ensure that practitioners have a requisite level of English language ability to interact and provide safe and quality care to healthcare consumers. English proficiency can be proven through various pathways.

Primary Language Pathway: This applies to an applicant who has completed a minimum of six years of primary and secondary schooling directed in English in a recognized country, to include at least two years of schooling from year seven to year twelve, and have obtained a necessary nursing/midwifery qualification from a recognized English teaching institution.

Extended Education Path: Registered nurses, midwives, and enrolled nurses can also meet the requirements if they complete at least five years of non-stop full-time education in English. This education needs to happen in recognized countries and can include a mix of high school vocational, and college education.

Recognized countries include: Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, Canada, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Malta, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America, and US Virgin Islands Other Defined Limited Circumstances — In some situations, applicants might show they have something very similar to the pathways mentioned before. However, it's up to the Board to decide if this is good enough.

There are limited exemptions, including for applicants who do research with minimal patient involvement or who conduct supervised clinical demonstrations. Such exemptions are intended to make sure that patient safety takes priority, and they generally come with oversight from a registered health practitioner.

The NMBA’s English language requirements are strict because effective communication is key to patient safety and quality care. Prospective nurses and midwives need to get familiar with these new requirements and prepare for registration. For more info go to the full registration standard on the NMBA website.

https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/registration-standards/english-language-skills.asp