A shortage of nursing staff in the Australian healthcare industry has again hit mainstream media with workforce modelling figures showing that healthcare services in New South Wales are at major risk due to lack of staff. The figures were obtained under Freedom of Information and shows a shortfall of nursing staff will impact hospitals and aged care facilities from 2020.
New South Wales currently has around 70,000 full-time equivalent registered nurses and midwives. Modelling figures show that by the year 2030 there will be a shortfall of around 8,000 nursing staff. The gap will be larger for enrolled nurses with an expected shortfall of around 13,000 by the year 2030.
South West Sydney, a rapidly growing area and soon to be home to Sydney’s second airport, is predicted to need 5,500 registered nurses by 2030 but only an estimated 4,000 will be available. For enrolled nurses the requirement is 600 but the expected availability will be only 100, figures which qualify for the ‘catastrophic’ category in terms of nursing shortages.
Much of the rest of NSW is charted as being at major risk of nursing shortages but the modelling figures are stated to be worst-case scenario and the NSW Government has indicated it will implement policies to meet increased need for nursing staff. Currently the NSW Government is offering 300 scholarships to people wishing to become an enrolled nurse through studying a Diploma of Nursing at TAFEs or other registered training organisations.
School leavers keen to fill the gap
A large number of school leavers who completed their Higher School Certificate (HSC) last year have applied to undertake a nursing degree at university. Western Sydney University has received 6500 early entry applications for nursing and have developed a new Bachelor of Nursing degree to meet demand. The University of Wollongong, on the south coast of NSW last week published a media release stating that from 2019 it will begin offering nursing degrees at their South Western Sydney Campus, subject to course approval. The University also aims to establish the Western Sydney Nursing Education and Research Centre offering courses commencing 2020.
Despite the increase in those wishing to study nursing, in the interim NSW will continue to experience nursing staff shortages. Last winter Australia experienced the worst flu season on record, which put enormous strain on the healthcare industry and highlighted the unmet demand for nursing staff. Nurses at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle on the north coast of NSW said they were often working double shifts at short notice. A sudden spike in flu cases during the winter months meant that some areas of the hospital had to be temporarily converted into wards to cater to the additional patients.
HealthStaff Recruitment has a number of nursing and midwifery positions in NSW and throughout the whole of Australia. Check out our Nursing Jobs Australia page to find a position in an area and discipline that appeals to you.