November 2008 (pdf, 84kb)Office of the Principal Nurse Advisor (Chief Nurse)
Nurse Policy Branch includes the Office of the Principal Nurse Advisor (Chief Nurse) of Victoria. Currently, the Principal Nurse Advisor (PNA) Belinda Moyes also holds the position of Director, Nurse Policy Branch. The PNA reports to the Under Secretary, DHS and is a member of the Divisional Executive, ensuring that there is a nursing voice at senior level of government.
In DHS there are two Senior Nurse Advisors (Rural & Regional Health Services Division and Mental Health and Drugs Division) who work in collaboration with the PNA to provide advice on nursing to senior departmental officers and Ministers.
About Nurse Policy Branch
Nurse Policy Branch (NPB) is located in the Portfolio Services and Strategic Projects Division of DHS, reflecting the strategic importance of the health workforce. NPB was initially established in 2000 to implement the Nurse Recruitment and Retention Report (NRRC) and to oversee the Victorian nursing recruitment and retention strategy.
NPB is responsible for ensuring the government is provided with timely, accurate and appropriate nursing policy advice, and seeks to ensure that the Victorian health care system and required nursing services are supported by an educated, experienced and skilled nurse workforce of an adequate size and distribution to meet the needs of the public.
The Branch offers a focal point for communication and professional leadership in relation to contemporary nursing practice and supports innovation and best practice. An essential component to this is working with external and internal stakeholders to ensure that there is adequate data that informs policy in relation to a viable nursing workforce that is responsive to individual and population health care needs.
Nurse Policy Branch Policy Framework
The policy work of the NPB is consistent with the DHS Strategic Plan and DHS workforce strategy and policy.
NPB has adopted an Integrated Nurse Workforce Policy Framework that is focused on building capacity and capability in the nursing workforce. The framework is consistent with and reflects the guiding principles of the National Health Workforce Strategic Framework and provides direction for Directors of Nursing and health services seeking to improve recruitment and retention of nurses by building capacity and capability in the nursing workforce.
The framework has three core policy platforms:
- Enhancing Nurses Working Lives
- Supporting Transition and Reform, and
- Developing Professional Practice.
The work and direction of NPB is guided by four principles, that are:
- The "health" of nursing will impact on the health of Australian communities; building the capacity and capability of the nursing workforce will strengthen the health system,
- We place great value on building relationships, creating partnerships and fostering collaboration,
- The nursing profession is proud and visible; we work to ensure that nurses are consulted, engaged and provide valuable input into policy affecting their work, and
- Our policies are informed, contemporary and evidence based; our work is responsive, strategic and gives effect to government priority and directions.
Effective communication is a key focus of the Branch. The website and newsletters provide information regarding nursing activities in Victoria, Australia and overseas.
NPB regularly schedules opportunities for nurses to engage in dialogue relating to policy development and to share innovation and best practice, and the PNA meets with undergraduate and post graduate students of nursing during their studies to discuss professional issues and the role of health and nursing policy.
Other groups and organisations that the Branch works closely with include, but are not limited to, the Victoria and Tasmania Deans of Nursing and Midwifery, the Australian Nursing Federation, National Enrolled Nurses Association, Royal College of Nursing, Australia, The College of Nursing, the Nurses Board of Victoria, universities, TAFE sector, various colleges and special interest groups, the ANMC and Directors of Nursing from metropolitan, rural/regional, small rural health services, aged/extended care health services as well as the private sector.
The PNA/Chief Nurse is a member of the Australia and New Zealand Council of Chief Nurses (ANZCCN), which ensures that matters of national importance to, and about, nursing have attention.
Some Key NPB Achievements to date:
- Led the Victorian nursing recruitment and retention strategy that was successful in attracting more than 10,516 additional nurses back into the Victorian public health system since 1999,
- Annually administers over $33 million of funds that support Victorian nurses and midwives to continually develop their practice, knowledge and skills,
- Managed the Victorian Nurse Practitioner Project that led the establishment of the NP role in Victoria (including legislative reform to recognise and enable NPs to practice) and supports health services and nurses to implement NP roles,
- Implemented an effective policy (2002) that made significant reductions in the cost to health services of use of Agency nursing staff (Agency Directive) and regulates conditions under which agency nurses can be employed. (Estimated savings in first year of $20 million), and
- Fosters healthy & safe workplaces for nurses through programs such as Victorian Back Injury Prevention Program and implementation of Victorian Taskforce on Violence in Nursing.
Principal Nurse Advisor Profile
Adjunct Professor Belinda Moyes
RN, BHA (UNSW), MHP (UNSW),FRCNA, FCoN, AFACHSE, MAICD,
Profile
Belinda established the Nurse Policy Branch in 2000 following her appointment as Principal Nurse Advisor / Director of the Nurse Policy Branch.
Belinda is a Registered Nurse and a Midwife with a Bachelor in Health Administration and a Masters in Health Planning. Belinda is a Fellow if the Royal College of Nursing Australia, a Fellow of the College of Nursing Australia, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Associate Fellow of the College of Health Service Executives. In October 2004, Belinda was appointed as an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioral Sciences at Deakin University.
Belinda's experience includes senior policy and advisory roles, driving a national reform agenda, leading the integration processes associated with hospital mergers and corporate and director of operation roles in large public and private health services. Belinda has held several board appointments in community, research and public healthcare sector organisations.
Belinda's particular interests include leadership, strategic thinking and change, whole of workforce policy and planning, organisational and professional culture.
From April 2004 to August 2006, Belinda was granted a secondment from the department to take up a full time position of Chair of the National Nursing and Nursing Education Taskforce.
The N3ET Taskforce was appointed by the Australian Government and State and Territory Health and Education Ministers and covered a range of portfolio and Commonwealth/State responsibilities. The Taskforce was assigned responsibility for monitoring and implementing a large number of recommendations from the National Review of Nursing Education. In addition, the Taskforce considered and provided recommendations on other nursing workforce or nursing education and training issues referred by the Australian Health Ministers Council. The Taskforce produced a number of significant pieces of work and several reports on specific nursing and midwifery issues.