The Nurses and Midwives Bill, 2022, will require an annual renewal of a license to practice nursing in The Bahamas and that nurses engage in continuing education, among other things.
Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Michael Darville, who led off debate on the bill in the House of Assembly yesterday, stressed that the bill is needed to advance and strengthen the profession.
“In a nutshell, this progressive piece of legislation seeks to expand the practice of nursing and midwifery; continue the work of the Nursing Council of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the Registrar and the Nursing Tribunal; provide for the training, regulation, registration, enrollment and licensing necessary for the continued professional development of nurses and midwives,” he said.
“Just as it was recognized in 1971 that the Act of 1926 needed to be upgraded to accommodate the evolution of the nursing profession, we understand the importance of further modernizing the legislative framework for the oversight of the nursing profession with the repeal and replacement of the Nurses and Midwifes Act, 1971 some 52 years later, with this new Nurses and Midwives Bill, 2022.”
In the bill, there are expanded terms and clauses “aimed at advancing and more adequately supporting the 21st century nurse and midwife”.
“The primary focus of this bill is to bring a higher level of focus to the way that nursing is practiced in our country,” Darville said.
“It speaks specifically to the various categories of nurses and the need for continuous training, regulation, and preservation of the standards of the profession.”
He added, “The requirement for the completion of continuing nursing education is a new requirement for the profession in-country, bringing the practice and regulations of the profession into alignment with other health professional licensing requirements.
“The annual renewal of a license to practice nursing is also introduced to ensure that existing manpower resources are accurately tracked, and strategies to remedy gaps in the profession are informed with accurate information.”
The bill also lists the qualifications of a licensed practical nurse, registered nurse and advanced practice nurse.
“At all levels, the nurse must be fit to practice nursing in The Bahamas and meet the minimum standards set by the council,” Darville said.
“Having standardized qualifications for nursing in this bill ensures that the profession is not compromised because these qualifications have to be met in order to be registered and subsequently licensed. In this way, our nurses can rest assured that they are working beside equally qualified counterparts while on the job.”
The Tall Pines MP said the bill is important for the “management and delivery of healthcare in our country”.
“The profession of nursing is evolving and it is critical that we keep pace with these developments,” he said.
“After more than 50 years, it is safe to say that the repeal and replacement of the Nursing and Midwives Act, 1971 is long overdue.”