ANZSCO 2544New South Wales

Registered NursesJune 2017

Labour Economics Office New South Wales

Department of Employment

Current labour market ratingNo shortage

Previous labour market rating (June 2016)Metropolitan recruitment difficulty

Regional shortage

Comments

In previous four years, shortages of registered nurses have mostly been apparent across regional NSW while in metropolitan areas recruitment difficulties have persisted for roles specialising in mental health, drug treatment and aged care. These issues have abated according to this most recent research, with nearly all employers across NSW able to fill their vacancies with ease.

Survey results

  • The Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised (SERA) was conducted for the occupation of registered nurses in the June quarter 2017.
  • Around 96 per cent of vacancies were filled (compared with 65 per cent in 2016).
  • This is the first time this occupation has not been in shortage or recruitment difficultyfor at least a decade.
  • There was an average of 9.3 applicants per vacancy, of whom 7.3 were qualified registered nurses (compared with 6.4 and 5.7, respectively, in 2016).
  • Employers in metropolitian areas, on average, attracted more applicants per vacancy than those located in regional NSW (14.8 compared with 3.9).
  • All applicants in regional NSW were qualified registered nurses.
  • Employers considered 1.8 applicants per vacancy to be suitable (compared to an average of 1.0 over the five years ended 2016).
  • Around half of all employers surveyed were able to choose between multiple suitable applicants.
  • A small number of employers indicated they usually experience difficulty recruiting for their modality, although all of these employers were able to fill these surveyed vacancies.
  • Most employers surveyed preferred applicants with experience in the sector or modality cited in the advertisement for their vacancy. Employers generally did not consider experience to be transferable across modalities.
  • This affected a large number of applicants who were recent graduates. Several employers indicated that recent graduates were encouraged to apply for specific graduate positions as they were unlikely to be considered for other roles.
  • The Department surveyed vacancies across a range of different institutions including public and private hospitals, aged care facilities, general practice clinics, private clinics, non-government organisations and local councils.
  • Nearly all roles surveyed were for permanent full-time or part-time positions. Only a small number of vacancies were for ongoing casual positions.
  • The majority of hospital and aged care vacancies required the successful applicants to be available for a seven day rotating shift roster.
  • It is a national requirement that all registered nurses employed in Australia are registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).[1]
  • This occupation has been rated as not being in shortage consistent with nearly all surveyed vacancies being filled and around half of all employers surveyed havingbeen able to choose between multiple suitable applicants.

Unsuitable applicants

  • Due to the specific requirements of employers and employers having a large number of applicants from whom to choose, nearly 80percent of all qualified applicants were considered to be unsuitable.
  • These applicants either lacked the minimum level of experience required (this included a number of recent graduates) or they did not have experience in the modality advertised.
  • A small number were considered unsuitable as they lacked AHPRA registration, failed an interview or employers believed they possessed a poor attitude.

Demand and supply trends

  • Underlying demand for registered nurses continues to increase as a result of the growth and ageing of the population, advances in medical technology and an increasing incidence of chronic disease.
  • Activity in hospitals and other health care services continues to grow. Public and private hospital separations (episodes of care) in NSW grew by 4.1 per cent over the year to 2015-16 (after having increased by 4.4 per cent in the previous year).[2]
  • The number of persons registered and active in NSW as a registered nurse or registered nurse/registered midwife or enrolled nurse/registered nurse increased from 87,740 to 90,128 (about three per cent) over March 2016 to March 2017.[3]
  • Over the year to June 2016, the number of full-time equivalent nurses and midwives employed in the NSW public health system increased by 2.3 per cent to 45,796 with the rise over the five years ended June 2016 being 13.6 per cent.[4]
  • The Department’s 12 month average internet vacancy index for registered nurses in NSW increased by around five per cent over the year to June 2017, with vacancy numbers close to the historically high level reached in January 2017.[5]
  • In 2015, there were around 2500 domestic students completing general undergraduate courses for initial nursing registration at NSW universities (an increase of around a quarter compared to the average per annum over the five years ended 2014).[6]
  • There were around 4300 commencements of undergraduate courses in 2015 (an increase of around 20 per cent compared to the average per annum over the five years to 2014).
  • The number of primary applicant 457 temporary skilled migration visas granted for registered nurses averaged around 350 per annum over the three years ended 2016-17 (compared with an average of 1000 per annum over the three years to 2013-14).[7] Note that the visas are only for four years and there is no automatic conversion to permanent residency.

Other indicators and issues

  • In the NSW Budget 2017-18, $12 million is being invested for the third year to enable the creation of 360 new specialised nursing, midwifery and support positions. Of this, $9.8 million has been allocated for the recruitment of 55 specialist nurses and midwives and 30 clinical supporting officers for nurses and midwifery services.[8]
  • Around $1.5 billion in 2017-18 and $7.1 billion over four years to 202021 is also allocated for new facilities, upgrades and developments in the health sector. This includes funding for new hospitals in Mudgee and Macksville as well as major developments for Campbelltown Hospital, Randwick Hospital Campus and Concord Hospital. Nearly $48 million is allocated towards redevelopment of rural and regional hospitals at Albury, Coffs Harbour, Cooma, Goulburn, Inverell, Lismore, Shellharbour, WaggaWagga and Wyong.[9]

Labour Economics Office New South Wales

Department of Employment

[1]Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, Who We Are, (last accessed 29 June 2017).

[2] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Admitted Patient Care 2015-16 Australian Hospital Statistics, 2017.

[3]Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Agency,Statistics, (last accessed 14 August 2017).

[4]NSW Ministry of Health, NSW Health Annual Report, various issues.

[5]Department of Employment, Internet Vacancy Index, 12 month moving average.(The series began in December 2006.)

[6]Department of Education and Training, Higher Education Student Statistics Data Cube, 2015, domestic students.

[7] Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Subclass 457 visas granted pivot table, (last accessed 21 July 2017).

[8] NSW Treasury, 2017-18 Budget Paper No. 3 - Budget Estimates - 05 Health Cluster, 2017.

[9] Department of Employment, NSW Budget 2017-18, summary.