Policy and strategy
We work with the nursing and midwifery professions to improve systems and processes. The following reviews and guidelines inform our policies on nursing and midwifery to improve the health of all Australians.
National Rural and Remote Nursing Generalist Framework 2023–2027
In 2023, the Australian Government released the National Rural and Remote Nursing Generalist Framework 2023–27. The framework will help nurses working in rural or remote locations across Australia, or who those looking to relocate there.
National Nursing Workforce Strategy
The National Nursing Workforce Strategy will establish priorities to guide the nursing workforce now and into the future. It will foster collaboration and drive action among stakeholders in shaping the future of nursing workforce planning and reform.
We have partnered with Victoria to develop the first national strategy for the nursing workforce. The strategy will guide long-term reform for:
- workforce sustainability
- diversity of the profession
- workforce planning
- the challenges of regional, rural and remote nursing
- a pathway from novice to expert
- data sharing.
To inform the strategy draft, we:
- consulted extensively
- researched Australian and international literature
- looked at results from the nursing supply and demand study.
We analysed the consultation results and created a consultation summary report. To learn more, read more about the strategy.
Nurse Practitioner Workforce Plan
In May 2023, the Australian Government released the Nurse Practitioner Workforce Plan. The aim of the plan is to enhance the accessibility and delivery of person-centred care for all Australians. They will do this through a well-distributed, culturally safe nurse practitioner (NP) workforce, while also increasing care for all Australian communities.
The plan includes outcomes to:
- increase NP services across Australia
- improve community awareness and knowledge of NP services
- support NPs to work to their full scope of practice
- support the NP workforce to practice in a culturally safe, respectful and responsive way
- reflect the diversity of the communities it serves.
Implementation of the plan is in progress. An Implementation Advisory Group meets regularly to:
- provide advice on implementing the plan’s 25 actions
- provide ongoing monitoring
- evaluate the outcomes.
Educating the nurse of the future
As part of the Australian Government’s Stronger Rural Health Strategy, we commissioned an independent review of the way we are training and educating our nurses. The review looks at whether this preparation meets the service needs of Australia’s future health system. The 2019 report Educating the nurse of the future presents the results of that review.
The Australian Government has tabled a response to this review, which made 26 recommendations, in parliament.
Advanced nursing practice guidelines
The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers of Australia produced the report Advanced Nursing Practice – Guidelines for the Australian Context in 2020. These guidelines aim to:
- reduce confusion about the scope of advanced nursing practice roles
- give greater clarity for nurses, employers, consumers and policymakers to what the term advanced nursing practice describes in the Australian context
- help in providing national consistency.
Pregnancy care guidelines
We developed the Clinical Practice Guidelines – Pregnancy Care to support health care professionals to give high-quality, evidence-based care to pregnant women.
The guidelines cover a wide range of topics including routine physical examinations, screening tests and social and lifestyle advice for pregnant women without complications. We also developed summary sheets for health professionals to use with consumers.
Woman-centred maternity care
After extensive consultation, we developed Woman-centred care: Strategic directions for Australian maternity services to:
- give national strategic direction to support Australia’s high-quality maternity care system
- improve service delivery in line with contemporary practice, evidence and international developments.
This national strategy supports the delivery of maternity services to women from conception until 12 months after the pregnancy or birth.
National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan
In response to a senate inquiry into stillbirth, we developed a National stillbirth action and implementation plan. The main goal is to reduce stillbirth rates in Australia by 20% or more by 2025.
As part of the plan we are funding a wide range of stillbirth initiatives, some of which improve processes for nurses and midwives.
The department has developed and published a Nursing Supply and Demand Model to project the supply and demand of the nursing workforce until 2035 at various geographical levels, including national, state/territory, employment area and Modified Monash Model.
Legislation
We administer legislation to do with health, including:
- Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Act 2010
- Midwife Professional Indemnity (Run-off Cover Support Payment) Act 2010.
The Midwife Professional Indemnity Scheme (MPIS) is one of the Australian Government’s indemnity insurance schemes and helps professional indemnity insurers with the cost of claims against midwives.
Regulation and compliance
We work with Services Australia to support nurse practitioners and midwives with compliance with Medicare claiming. Services Australia provides a Health Professional Education Resources Gateway which has a large range of e-learning modules and other education resources.
Initiatives and programs
We support nursing and midwifery at a national level through a range of initiatives and programs:
- The Workforce Incentive Program – Practice Stream provides financial support for general practices to employ nurses and health professionals as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- The Australian Government funds the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association to deliver the Nursing in Primary Health Care Program. The program promotes employment and support for nurses working in primary health care.
- Australia's National Registration and Accreditation Scheme ensures only qualified and registered people can call themselves a nurse or midwife.
- The Coalition of National Nursing & Midwifery Organisations is a group of more than 60 national nursing and midwifery organisations. It promotes communication between the different professional bodies in Australia.
- The Australian Government funds the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives. The congress promotes the recruitment and retention of First Nations people.
- The Australian Government funds CRANAplus to deliver training to isolated, remote health professionals that targets remote area practice, including rural and remote nursing and midwifery.
- The Aged Care Transition to Practice Program provides new registered and enrolled aged care nurses with intensive training and mentorship.
- Nurses at all stages of their career can apply for an Aged Care Nursing Scholarship. These scholarships give nurses the chance to gain qualifications in gerontological nursing.
- Nurses and midwives and students of the professions can access the Nurse Midwife Health Program Australia for peer support and counselling.
- The Nursing in Primary Care Placement Program supports strengthening the capacity, role and utilisation of the Australian primary health care nursing workforce to address the community’s health care needs.
- The Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placements Program provides Diploma of Nursing, Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Nursing (Graduate entry) students with high-quality clinical placements in the care and support sector.
- The Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program aims to ensure all people with cancer have access to high quality and culturally safe care.
- The Primary Care Nursing and Midwifery Scholarship Program enable registered nurses and midwives to undertake postgraduate study.
Research
We fund quality clinical research through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Medical Research Future Fund. This includes support for research personnel, including nurses and midwives.
Consultation and engagement
We regularly consult the Australian public about issues affecting health. Search our consultations hub for details of any open consultations to do with nursing and midwifery.
Who we work with
Portfolio agencies
Our portfolio agency, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), publishes information relevant to nursing and midwifery, including:
- reports on the nursing workforce
- reports on mothers and babies
- the Maternity Information Matrix, a national maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity dataset.
The Digital Health Agency published the National Nursing and Midwifery Digital Health Capability Framework.
Committees and groups
We provide the secretariat for committees that advise us on issues to do with nursing and midwifery:
- National Nursing and Midwifery Education Advisory Network (NNMEAN)
- Nursing and Midwifery Strategic Reference Group.
Professional bodies
We work with regulatory bodies and professional associations as needed to support the nursing and midwifery workforce. This includes:
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation
- Australian College of Nursing
- Australian College of Midwives.
Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer
The Australian Government appointed Adjunct Professor (Practice) Alison McMillan PSM as its Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer in November 2019.
This role supports nurses and midwives by:
- giving high-level policy advice to Ministers in the Health, Disability and Ageing portfolio, and staff in the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (the department)
- representing the department at national and international levels
- being a member of the Australian Health Protection Committee, along with several other committees
- working with colleagues in the department to support the nursing and midwifery workforce across all areas of the health system
- representing the department in the news media
- participating in training videos and webinars.
The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer publishes a monthly newsletter, giving updates about what is happening across the nursing and midwifery sectors.
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