Australia’s largest healthcare workforce of more than 400,000 nurses and midwives now has a national digital health skills and training plan.
Developed by nurses and midwives, the National Nursing and Midwifery Digital Health Capability Framework outlines the core digital health skills and knowledge required for professional practice in the digital era, covering patient care, leadership, advocacy, education and research.
Announcing the plan, Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said that as front-line healthcare professionals, nurses and midwives were playing a leading role in Australia’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Every Australian has benefited from their commitment,” Mr Hunt said.
“Nurses and midwives have long been using technology to care for their patients. The first of its kind in Australia, the framework highlights the specific skills and capabilities necessary to deliver contemporary care.”
He said that in 2020, the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, the focus was on empowering nurses and midwives to lead the digital transformation of the health system.
“It is expected the framework will be used as a resource to guide individuals, employers and educators in their workforce and professional development planning,” Mr Hunt said.
“The framework focuses on digital professionalism; leadership and advocacy; data and information quality; information-enabled care, and technology.”
The framework was the result of collaboration by the Australian Digital Health Agency and the Australasian Institute of Digital Health, in association with a number of nursing, midwifery, health research and consumer organisations.
