FIJI ISLANDS

NURSES AND MIDWIVES (AMENDMENT) ACT 1999
ACT NO. 22 OF 1999

I assent.
[L.S.]

K. K. T. MARA
President

[20.9.99]

AN ACT

TO AMEND THE NURSES AND MIDWIVES ACT

ENACTED by the Parliament of the Fiji Islands-

Short title etc.

1.-(1) This Act may be cited as the Nurses and Midwives (Amendment) Act 1999.

(2) In this Act, the Nurses and Midwives Act (Cap. 256) is referred to as the “principal Act”.

Commencement

2. This Act comes into force on 15th October 1999.

Long title

3. The long title to the principal Act is amended by deleting "and midwives" and substituting "midwives and nurse practitioners".

Short title

4. Section 1 of the principal Act is amended by deleting "Nurses and Midwives Act" and substituting "Nurses, Midwives and Nurse Practitioners Act".

Establishment of Nurses and Midwives Board

5. Section 2 of the principal Act is amended in subsection (1)-

(a) by deleting "Nurses and Midwives Board" and substituting "Nurses, Midwives and Nurse Practitioners Board";

(b) by deleting "Controller" and substituting "Director" in paragraph (b);

(c) by deleting "Registrar of Nurses and Midwives" in paragraph (b) and substituting "Registrar of Nurses, Midwives and Nurse Practitioners";

(d) by deleting "Central Nursing School" in paragraph (c) and substituting "Fiji School of Nursing";

(e) by deleting 'and' at the end of paragraph (g);

(f) by inserting after paragraph (g) the following new paragraph-

"(gg) a member, being a registered nurse practitioner, who also holds professional qualifications as both a nurse and midwife, appointed by the Minister; and".

Duties of the Board etc.

6. Section 3 of the principal Act is amended-

(a) in subsection (1) by-

(i) deleting "a register of nurses for the sick and midwives" in paragraph (a) and substituting "separate registers of nurses, midwives and nurse practitioners respectively";

(ii) deleting "and midwives" in paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) and substituting ",Midwives and nurse practitioners";

(iii) inserting "relevant" before "register" in paragraph (b);

(b) in subsection (3) by-

(i) deleting "and Midwives" and substituting ",Midwives and Nurse Practitioners";

(ii) deleting "register" in paragraph (b) and substituting "registers".

Admission to the register

7. Section 4 of the principal Act is amended-

(a) by numbering it as subsection (1);

(b) by deleting "or midwife" where it twice appears and substituting ",midwife or nurse practitioner";

(c) by deleting "the register" where it first appears and substituting "a register";

(d) by deleting "possess" and substituting "possesses" in paragraph (a);

(e) by deleting "part of the" before "register" in paragraph (c);

(f) by adding the following new subsections-

"(2) A person who in the opinion of the Board is appropriately qualified may be admitted to more than one register.

(3) Before admitting any person to a register the Board must satisfy itself that the person has either-

(a) discharged any debt to the Government incurred in the course of training as a nurse, midwife or nurse practitioner; or

(b) entered into an undertaking with the Board, on terms acceptable to the Board, to serve as a nurse, midwife or nurse practitioner, as the case may be, in the Fiji Islands for periods and at locations or facilities or for employers or contractors respectively specified by the Board.";

(g) by deleting "the" in the section heading and substituting "a".

None but registered persons entitled to recover charges

8. Section 5 of the principal Act is amended-

(a) by deleting "not" before "entitled";

(b) by deleting "or midwife" and "or a midwife" and substituting in both cases ", midwife or nurse practitioner".

None but registered persons to practice in certain areas

9. Section 6 of the principal Act is amended-

(a) by deleting "Fiji" where it twice appears and substituting "the Fiji Islands";

(b) in subsection (2) by-

(i) adding after paragraph (b) the following new paragraph-

"(c) not being a registered nurse practitioner practises as a nurse practitioner,";

(ii) deleting "$100" and substituting "$2,000".

Penalty for unlawful assumption of title etc. of registered nurse or registered midwife

10. Section 7 of the principal Act is amended-

(a) by deleting "or midwife" and substituting ", midwife or nurse practitioner";

(b) by deleting "$100" and substituting “$2,000”;

(c) by deleting the section heading and substituting-

"Unlawful assumption of title of registered nurse etc.".

Rules

11. Section 8 of the principal Act is amended -

(a) by numbering it as subsection (1);

(b) in paragraph (b) by deleting "and midwives" and substituting "midwives and nurse practitioners";

(c) in paragraph (ba) by adding at the end "and with respect to nurse practitioners";

(d) in paragraph (bb) by deleting "fifty dollars" and substituting "$1000";

(e) by adding the following new subsection-

(2) The Board may issue guidelines for practice as a nurse practitioner either generally or in respect of particular aspects of the work of a nurse practitioner.";

(f) by deleting the section heading and substituting "Rules and guidelines".

Power of the Board to remove from the register-

12. Section 9 of the principal Act is amended-

(a) in subsection (1) by-

(i) deleting "or registered midwife" where it twice appears and substituting ", registered midwife or registered nurse practitioner";

(ii) deleting "Fiji" where it twice appears and substituting the “Fiji Islands”;

(b) in subsection (4) by deleting "Supreme" where it twice appears and substituting "High".

Application

13. Section 10 of the principal Act is amending by deleting "or midwives" and substituting ", midwives or nurse practitioners".

Passed by the House of Representatives this 25th day of August 1999.

Passed by the Senate this 14th day of September 1999.

-------------