Needs assessment
In 2024, nurses and midwives in rural and remote communities told us that they were experiencing:
- excessively high levels of agency nurse use
- high workforce turnover
- unsustainable health service costs
- absence of a national supported workforce pathway
- lack of supported clinical supervision
- limited support for remote health managers
- ongoing safety and security issues.
We’ve outlined some of our key responses below. See what’s next and how you can get involved!
A bold new plan
We have undertaken sector consultation and developed a comprehensive submission to the Australian Government for a nationally standardised and recognised advanced generalist nursing and midwifery practice pathway to deliver up to 1,000 new nurses and midwives across rural and remote Australia. Clinical Reflective Supervision is embedded within the pathway to build resilience and stability into our workforce pipeline.
Join us in advocating for change – read our full submission and help us push for a stronger, more sustainable rural and remote health workforce. You can help by sharing the submission with colleagues and friends and advocating for its adoption throughout your networks and employing organisations.
We also prepared a separate submission that builds on the key Australian nursing and midwifery peak’s calls for comprehensive, employer-funded clinical supervision for all nurses and midwives (access via link at end
of this article).
This is an important tool for organisations to strengthen nursing and midwifery practice through supported reflection and clinical guidance from experienced, well-trained nursing and midwifery clinical supervisors. Anticipated outcomes include improved workforce satisfaction, interprofessional relationships, and workforce retention.
In addition, we have advocated for building remote nursing and midwifery leadership capability and system improvements in safety and security. This information was also used to determine priorities and opportunities to better support the rural and remote health workforce through our education programs, advocacy efforts, wellbeing support, and nursing and midwifery career pathways.
A unified voice for change
Recently we have joined partner nursing peaks to advocate for the Scope of Practice Review recommendations and other reforms, including the implementation of the National Rural and Remote Nursing Generalist Framework, which fully utilises nurses, nurse practitioners, and midwives to improve health outcomes for all Australians, regardless of their postcode.
Last November, as part of this united voice of nursing and midwifery peaks, we participated in an event in Parliament House titled Parliamentary Friends of Nurses.
This was an excellent opportunity to showcase the breadth of nursing practice and advocate for meaningful primary health care reform. The event launched a campaign to empower nurses, nurse practitioners, midwives, and allied health professionals to work to their full scope of practice.
What’s next
Throughout 2025 we will continue to work together with nursing and midwifery peaks to advocate for the needs of the rural and remote health workforce. Please support us by sharing submissions, talking with your interprofessional colleagues and asking for their advocacy and support for these much-needed changes.
Finally, we thank those of you who continue to share your experiences and support us in our work. Your voices are instrumental in shaping our strategy, policy and advocacy.
