Scope of Practice

Professional practice

Assessment Task 1 - Scope of practice as defined by Massage New Zealand


In investigating the scope of practice as it is defined by Massage New Zealand. It seems it has been put in place to insure that massage therapists both RMT and CMT work within there individual scopes of practice to provide a treatment that is most suited to the clients symptoms and that they act in a professional and safe manor.

MNZ defines both RMT and CMT scopes of practice accurately, from what I have personally experienced in my training so far. In that massage therapists research medical history of clients and determine their need for massage and refer on if appropriate, (RMT’s going deeper into diagnosing and finding causes of the symptoms in the client for treatment if appropriate). Then going on to use techniques within their scope to treat them, be it hands on treatment and/or advice in self help management - stretches etc. This is followed by methods of reducing discomfort and explanation of possible after effects. Whilst maintaining a professional image and maintaining good ethics toward clients.

Scope of practice is defined as skills that licensed healthcare providers are trained to do. Scope of practice is defined by the government that issues the license, usually a state. Every healthcare provider has a scope of practice, except physicians. Physicians have the ability to develop new skills as necessary (About.com,23/09/08). As Massage New Zealand is not a government organisation or backed by them and at some point massage therapy will most probably need to be government regulated for this it will need to come under the Health Practioners Competence Assurance Act.

I believe with the MNZ scope of practice in place along with MNZ code of ethics, massage therapy as a profession could easily fit within the Health Practioners Competence Assurance Act. It insures that correct procedures are followed so clients are treated in a safe, professional manor and within a scope of practice they are qualified in. As the purpose of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act, is to provide a framework for the regulation of health practitioners in order to protect the public where there is a risk of harm from the practice of the profession. (Ministry of health, 2008). The MNZ scope of practice and Code of Ethics surly sets a standard that would be acceptable.

The question would need to be asked though whether or not Massage New Zealand and its therapists would want to come under that type of scrutiny. I agree with Victoria that as with the recognition of the HPCAA there would be stricter guide lines to practice by, and the ease in evolving and expanding the massage field would be lessened greatly, as practice would have to become more generic and systemised. This is most likely the main reason it has not already happened. I personally back the choice, as I think that massage therapy is still growing, to put a holt on it would do it harm and could prevent it from becoming a highly skilled and recognised health care provider in the future.

The Scope of practice as defined by Massage New Zealand accurately describes the level of competence in the industry when referring to CMT and RMT. The guide lines and ethics they direct are at a respectable level in healthcare terms, the only down side is that it is not backed by HPCAA. At this point in the life of the massage therapy field, it would be beneficial to keep it that way despite possible the loss of credibility. This is due to the need for growth in the industry.

References

About.com, September 23rd 2008, Scope of Practice. Retrieved 14/05/2009 http://firstaid.about.com/od/glossary/g/08_Scope.htm

Blog Spot, May 7th 2009, V—dub - Professional Practice. Retrieved 14/05/2009
http://v--dub.blogspot.com/

Elluminate, Otago Polytechnic, April 8th, 2009

Massage New Zealand, (2009), Certified Massage Therapist. Retrieved May 14th 2009 from http://massagenewzealand.org.nz/about-us/scope-of-practice-cmt/

Massage New Zealand, (2009), Remedial Massage Therapist. Retrieved May 14th 2009 from http://massagenewzealand.org.nz/about-us/scope-of-practice-rmt/

Ministry of health, May 7th 2008, Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. Retrieved 14/05/2009 http://www.moh.govt.nz/hpca