Do you have Nurse and Midwife vacancies to fill in Australia?
Below we present the current characteristics of the Australian Nursing workforce, together with a 5-step process for attracting more Nurses and Midwives to your roles.
The Australian Nursing Workforce in 2024:
- Strong demand continues for Nurses and Midwives in Australia. While the surge in demand since the pandemic has started to slow, the Australian labour market will continue to experience strong demand for Nurses and Midwives into the foreseeable future. Demand has been affected by the pandemic, staff shortages, high workloads, workforce burnout, strong immigration, and an aging population and workforce. The Internet Vacancy Index shows Nurse and Midwife job vacancies have averaged 10,595 a month during 2023, and in December 2023, they had grown by 12.7% year-on-year (Dec-22 vs Dec-23).
- Salary Increases and other improvements have been made to national Nurse and Midwife awards and State enterprise agreements. Recently this includes a 15% increase in award wages for Nurses working in Aged Care. According to the latest national Nurse Award, and the latest advertised salaries on SEEK and Indeed, Nursing salaries can range from $67 - $72.83 per hour, depending on the level and role.
- Registrations growing, but some Nurses and Midwives are not currently employed in the workforce - figures from the latest NMBA registrant data reveal a 4.8% year-on-year increase in Nurse and Midwife registrations (458,484 in Sept-2022 vs 480,473 in Sept-2023), which is great news as it means the Australian Nurse and Midwife workforce is continuing to grow strongly. However, there are still some AHPRA-registered Nurse and Midwives not employed in the workforce as registration numbers are higher than the latest ABS Labour Force - Employed Persons by Occupation count. There were 480,473 registered Nurses and Midwives in Sept-23 vs 411,200 Employed in the Nov-23 qtr. This means about 14% of registered Nurses and Midwives may still be out of the workforce. To encourage nurses and midwives back into the workforce, the NMBA has simplified its return to practice pathways so nurses and midwives can re-enter the workforce more easily.
- Record numbers of internationally-qualified Nurses post-pandemic. According to the latest AHPRA Annual Report, 2022/2023 saw a staggering 147.6% increase in new internationally-qualified nurse and midwife registrations. With borders re-opening after the Covid-19 pandemic, streamlined immigration and registration pathways have helped to support internationally qualified nurses and midwives emigrate to Australia, and also employers with their international recruitment efforts. Aged Care employers can use the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement to streamline sponsorship of overseas workers. AHPRA and the NMBA have boosted the number of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) to reduce exam wait times and they have made English language requirements more flexible. They have also published An employer and managers guide to registration and orientation for internationally qualified nurses and midwives.
- Government initiatives continue to bolster the Nursing Workforce. Funding for extra primary care placements, increased access to Medicare rebates for nurse practitioners, study subsidies and The Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) Practice Stream, which provides financial incentives to rural practices, should strengthen Nurse registration and workforce numbers in the coming years.
- Focus on flexible working arrangements and wellbeing. The NMBA has worked with Nurse & Midwife Support to develop a new support resources for nurses and midwives, including the Graduate mentorship pilot program which supports new graduates when they enter the workforce, builds collaborative relationships, enhances early career wellbeing, and ultimately improves staff retention. These days, many Nurses and Midwives want flexible work opportunities and a better work-life balance, which can improve wellbeing and performance at work.
- Nursing Roles in demand in Australia include midwives, and Nurses who work in paediatrics and maternity services, including neonatal Nurses and child health community nurses. Nurses who work in critical care, anaesthetics, or PACU are also in high demand. Other Nursing areas with high vacancy rates include mental health nurses, aged care nurses, and remote area nurses, while there is ongoing strong demand for all types of Registered Nurses.
Your 5-step process for attracting and hiring Nurses and Midwives in Australia:
- Develop a clear and concise job ad using relevant nursing or midwifery job titles. The job title should include the Nursing level, e.g., Registered Nurse, as well as the area of expertise, e.g., Emergency, Anaesthetics, or Aged Care. It is important to have a clear and concise job title so your job will appear in the right searches.
- Write an accurate job description: include important details, but avoid a lengthy job description with too many words. Keep your job description brief yet accurate. Your job ad should include clinical and technical information about the role, and this should be written by someone who understands the clinical nature of the work involved. This might mean that part of the job ad is written by senior nursing or medical staff, while other information, such as workplace culture, can be written by the recruitment or administration team. You can provide links to more detailed information - such as the formal job description, your website, or internal application form. It is important to mention any conditions of employment, including hours, job benefits and even the not-so-good aspects of the job, so your candidates have a realistic expectation of what is involved.
- Include salary information. Job ads are more likely to receive responses when they include salary information or salary ranges. This is especially true for Nurses who are considering changing jobs, and those who want to weigh up new opportunities with their current situation.
- Post your job ad on an online job site. Online job boards are the best way to advertise your vacancies. You can advertise on your own website, on generic job boards, such as Seek or Indeed, or health and medical sector job sites such as com
- Review applications and schedule your interviews. Once you have reviewed your applications and checked documentation, you can schedule interviews. Prepare the right questions to ask your candidates – this helps you understand their professional experience in more detail, their expectations, and whether they are a good fit for the role and team. It is important to make a good first impression – so keep your interactions professional, honest, and friendly.
It is important to prioritise the wellbeing of your Nursing and Midwifery workforce and ensure ongoing staff satisfaction. Recruitment and retention of Nurses and Midwives can be improved by offering hours and conditions that support a harmonious work-life balance. Providing clear avenues for skill development, training, and clinical specialisation, will empower your current and future workforce. By establishing transparent career progression routes and promotion pathways, employers can help their Nurses and Midwives to remain focused and enhance their careers.
