Specialist nurses in Australia: The ICN and international regulation

This article focuses on the relationship between specialist nurses in Victo ria (Australia) and the International Council of Nurses (ICN). A major cons ideration is whether international standards can be applied across internat ional boundaries. The ICN has represented the worldwide nursing community f or the past 100 years. In 1997 the Royal College of Nursing (Australia) gai ned membership to the ICN and to its Regulation Network. With growing inter est about internationalization, a key question is whether Australian nurses will accept the Council recommendations on regulation. In a report on spec ialist nurse education in Australia, recommendations were made that include d the adoption of the ICN definition for specialist practice. A survey of t he opinions of 75 nurses practicing in Victoria, toward a selection of reco mmendations from the report, showed strong agreement on definition and much less agreement on minimum credentials. Findings from the survey are discus sed in relation to the international profile that is now expected of specia list nurses in Australia and a potential future role for professional organ izations.