Vision
A sustainable nursing workforce that adapts, innovates and excels to deliver evidence-based health and wellbeing outcomes for all Australian communities.
About the strategy
The strategy focuses on 4 priorities:
- Enhancing workforce planning, education and regulation, including nurses’ mobility and career flexibility
- Enabling nursing innovation, including emerging technologies and nurse-led models of care
- Elevating the nursing profession, including leadership, diversity, inclusion and culturally safe workplaces
- Delivering a sustainable nursing workforce, including transition to practice and national skills and capability
Developed through extensive collaboration and consultation, the strategy provides a coordinated approach to address forecast nursing shortages, seize opportunities for the profession and improve access to care for all Australians.
National Nursing Workforce Strategy
Why it is important
Nurses are a critical part of the health and aged care workforce. They make up more than 40% of the health workforce – the largest health profession in Australia. Without reform, Australia could face a shortfall of around 79,000 nurses by 2035.
Having a national strategic approach to nursing will help us tackle current and future workforce challenges and drive opportunities to meet the health and aged care needs of Australians.
Strategy development
From September 2023 to February 2024, we consulted with nurses and other stakeholders to identify issues facing the nursing workforce and opportunities for the future. We held:
- face-to-face workshops
- conferences
- online webinars
- yarning circles
- focus groups
- an online survey.
We researched Australian and international literature to understand how we can best support the nursing workforce. In addition, the results of the nursing supply and demand study have been used to inform the strategy by forecasting the supply and demand for nurses in Australia over the next 12 years.
The draft National Nursing Workforce Strategy was released for public consultation from September 2024 to October 2024. This provided nurses and other stakeholders an opportunity to share their views and feedback on the draft strategy prior to its finalisation.
The research along with findings from two rounds of consultation were used to inform drafting of the strategy. The collection of research, reports and consultation findings are available.
National Nursing Workforce Strategy – building the evidence base
Who we work with
The strategy was developed with chief nursing and midwifery officers from the Australian and state and territory governments, alongside the nursing profession and health and aged care sectors.
Governance
The strategy was developed under the oversight of:
Implementation
The strategy will be implemented through collaboration between governments, employers, education providers, professional organisations and the nursing profession.
Future updates and implementation progress will be published on this page.
Contact
