Find out how much of your program you can offer offshore and what evidence you need to support it, including cultural preparation, risk management and how the offshore component is equivalent to what students would do in Australia

Introduction

Accredited programs leading to registration as a registered nurse or midwife may want to conduct part of the program offshore. Doing this can enrich student practice and provide more diverse experience. It also helps to build relations between education providers and host organisations. 

If you want to add an offshore component to your program, we must formally accredit the experience by using evidence you send to us. This is to make sure that the offshore component complies with the relevant accreditation standards.

Note: Offshore components are not available for:

• Diploma of Nursing programs (or programs accredited on the Enrolled Nurse Accreditation standards)
• Master of Nurse Practitioner programs.

Limits on offshore components

There are limits on how much of an Australian program of study offered offshore can count towards a student's qualification. This is calculated on a pro-rata basis, as follows:

• no greater than one sixth of a student's total hours in the program
• for the Midwife Accreditation Standards 2021, learning experiences outside Australia must not exceed one fifth of the total program.

Evidence required

To offer an offshore component to your accredited program, you must submit the following evidence to us.

Rationale

Your rationale must explain:

• the reasons why you want to conduct some of your program offshore
• whether this component is observational, theoretical, and/or clinical
• the intended learning outcomes
• support for teaching, learning and assessment strategies to be used when offshore.

If your students are engaging in a theoretical and/or clinical component as part of an offshore subject, you must show:

• whether it's a core or elective subject in the program
• how it relates to the program's philosophical and conceptual framework
• how you'll determine the equivalence between offshore and Australian context
• evidence of how the subject met the accreditation standards
• what part of the overall program the offshore component relates to.

Cultural and professional preparation

You must show you have a robust and fair selection process for students who want to take part in the offshore study.

You must also show evidence that you will support and prepare students and staff before they leave. This should take the form of professional training, such as workshops or self-directed study. From this, they should gain a thorough understanding of nurse and midwife practice in the host country. 

Evidence of what students will learn should include, but not be limited to the host country's:

• culture, including appropriate dress and religious and cultural observances
• health service culture, scope of practice and regulations.

Risk management strategy

You must have a risk management framework designed to keep students and staff safe while offshore. It should include, but not be limited to:

• preparation for students and staff before leaving
• health check and vaccination schedule
• travel advisories from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• health and travel insurance requirements
• indemnity in the context of clinical practice
• arrangements to support staff and students' emotional, psychological and spiritual wellbeing
• designated emergency contact in Australia and the host country
• clear emergency procedures.

Equivalence and assessment

You must show that any credit a student receives for an offshore experience can be mapped into an equivalent Australian subject. It must also be aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework. This mapping will include the subject's:

• curriculum
• learning outcomes
• assessment strategies.

You must map assessment requirements and timelines before giving credit for offshore experience. 

If you're using an Australian assessment tool offshore provide evidence to show the host country's understanding of the tool. If you are using an offshore assessment tool, this has been mapped into its Australian equivalent.

Your students may be assessed by supervisors from the host country. When this is the case, you must be able to show they're appropriately qualified for teaching and supervision. 

Sometimes you might not be able to map the supervision experience of offshore staff to Australian experience. In this case, you should make sure you have a qualified staff member to accompany students.

Relevant documents

This information is relevant to the following documents:

• ANMAC Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2019)
• ANMAC Midwife Accreditation Standards (2021)
• ANMAC Midwife Accreditation Standards (2014)
• [Australian Qualifications Framework Second Edition January2013]