The Increasing Demand for Nurses in Australia
Nursing is the largest profession in the Australian healthcare sector. The huge demand for nurses is partly due to advances in healthcare and changing public expectations that have put more pressure on healthcare institutions to perform accordingly. But the more major factor is the growth of an ageing population experiencing more chronic health issues and thus, causing a shortage of nurses.
Health Workforce Australia estimates that by 2025, there will be gap of approximately 85,000 nurses. Currently, according to the March 2021 data, there are 336,000 registered nurses in the country. Despite this seemingly good number, the shortage of nurses remains apparent.
Below are the factors (in more specific detail) affecting the challenging need for more nurses in Australia:
Changing population demographics: As mentioned above a growing number of Australians are ageing and getting sick with old age. Thus, the healthcare industry has been in need, not only of more nurses, but has great demand for qualified nurses to step into areas of specialisation and responsibility. Nursing specialists are needed in critical care, renal, and older people and community nursing.
Advances in Technology: Technological advances can alleviate the work strain on nurses. One example would be self-monitoring systems, wherein patients can manage a great deal of their care independently with minimal assistance from a nurse. But this also means that news ways to interact with and provide care for patients are needed.
Changes in nursing roles: Nursing roles continue to change. Certain roles that traditionally required medical professionals, such as surgeries, now find nurses trained in advanced clinical care taking on greater leadership as needed. Rural, isolated and more deprived areas have increasingly been in need of nursing care as well, since the majority of nurses are working in urban areas.
Being a nurse is a demanding job for sure, but if you have the passion to help make other people’s lives and health better through your care, the rewards are great indeed. In terms of salary, a typical nurse enjoys pay and benefits to live on comfortably, more than many other jobs. And in terms of demand, it is definitely one of the most sought-after roles across many Australian industries, so you won’t have a problem finding a job in the nursing sector.
Education Training and Employment Australia (ETEA) offers nationally-accredited nursing programs that can help you get started on your path as a healthcare professional. You may choose between the following diploma programs to qualify as a nurse, which also pathway into further nursing studies, should you wish to advance your job qualifications in the future:
- Diploma of Nursing
- Advanced Diploma of Nursing (Mental Health)
If you’d like to know more about these programs, feel free to browse through our website and contact us for more information.
As one of Australia’s leading Registered Training Organisations (RTO), ETEA prides itself in giving quality and flexible curriculums suited to both students and working individuals. Our state of the art facilities, enjoyable and conducive study environment and various campuses that can be found around the country ensure that we continue to produce competent graduates within their chosen fields. Let us help you build your career as a competent healthcare professional today.
