Rural and Isolated Practice Registered Nurses

Rural and Isolated Practice Registered Nurses is a classification for nurses practising in defined rural and remote areas in Queensland, Australia. Such nurses hold the post-nominal RIN, but in conversation the abbreviation RIPRN is used.

In rural and remote Queensland Australia, nurses who are advanced practising may complete a course of study that allows them to apply for endorsement to qualify as a Rural and Isolated Practice Registered Nurse (RIPRN). The program of study is delivered at a Graduate Certificate level, and is recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia as "scheduled medicines endorsement (rural and isolated practice)".

Once endorsed nurses in may initiate the administration and supply of certain scheduled medicines (that normally require a prescription) under a Drug Therapy Protocol (DTP). The DTP requires that clinical guidelines around the use of the medicines are in place called Health Management Protocols (HMP). In Queensland the HMPs are contained within the statewide Primary Clinical Care Manual (PCCM). The PCCM is updated in line with Cochraine data and other EBM sources every two years to remain current. Further information on the RIPRN nurse can be found at the peer reviewed article below.^[1]

If completing the course through Queensland Health as the education provider, the program includes written and practical assessment over a 9 month period of time.

Course content

Content of the program includes:

• Legislation and Context of Practice
• Pharmacology
• Immunisation for nurses
• Primary Health Care Case studies

For a comprehensive look at the program offered by Qld Health http://www.health.qld.gov.au/cunninghamcentre/html/nursing.asp

References

External links

• The Cunningham Centre: one of the Queensland Government organisations that offer this program for course info.