ACMHN calls for better recognition at Senate Inquiry into ADHD.

Thursday 29 June 2023

Today, representatives from the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) have given evidence at the public hearing for the Inquiry into the assessment and support services for people with ADHD.
 
“Until we start to be routinely mentioned … we are still invisible,” Coralie Holding, CMHN and Masters qualified Nurse Practitioner, advised the Senators.

Barriers to Credentialed Mental Health Nurses (CMHNs) and Nurse Practitioners-Mental Health (NP-MH) are excluding a significant workforce of skilled professionals to provide support services for people with ADHD.
 
Currently, GPs are overwhelmed with demand and are referring patients to psychiatrists creating unacceptable waiting times and high costs.

The Senators were advised that an available solution is to better recognise the skills and expertise of Australian CMHNs and NP-MH.

Senator Jordan Steele-John supported this, pointing out that by making it easier for Nurse Practitioners to operate, wait times for the public will be reduced.

“The current national ADHD guidelines make assumptions regarding the scope of work of nurses to group all nurses together. Not all nurses have specialised education, qualifications, and experience in neurodevelopmental disorders. CMHNs and NP-MH have a very high level of expertise and therefore need to be identified separately from general nurses,” advised Sonia Miller, Chair ACMHN National Nurse Practitioner – Mental Health, Special Interest Group.
 
“The scope of work for mental health nurses must be correctly detailed in specialist national guidelines. National guidelines inform federal funding which impacts the public’s access to mental health nursing services in primary care.”
 
“Nurse Practitioners are not in the guidelines … therefore not being able to access funding,” added Ms Miller. 

-ENDS-


For further information and our submission, please contact ACMHN Media Officer, Sophie Howard on: (02) 6285 1078.

TAGS   Australian College of Mental Health Nurses press release