workforce
Taking stock
If there ’ s no nursing workforce shortage , why doesn ’ t it feel like it ?
By Patricia Davidson , Caleb Ferguson and Debra Jackson
The nursing and midwifery workforce is the largest group of regulated health professionals representing approximately 60 per cent of the registered workforce in Australia , and contributes significantly to the health outcomes of individuals , families and communities . As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage around the world , a common refrain has highlighted both a health workforce shortage and an increased sense of the value and importance of nursing and nurses .
During the pandemic , nursing workforce shortages have been experienced globally in high , middle and low-income countries , and messages of desperation expressed with many nurses intending to leave the profession .
The State of the world ’ s nursing 2020 report has provided data on the nursing workforce using information obtained from the National Health Workforce Accounts . This report has been an important stocktake to inform coordinated human resources for health strategy globally . Yet as in many instances , the availability and quality of data can influence conclusions made and as a consequence workforce projections . In spite of limitations , these data from 191 member states of the World Health Organization provide a persuasive case for investment in nursing education , jobs and leadership .
This report identifies there is not a shortage of nurses in Australia , but we can ’ t help but feel it doesn ’ t feel like that , and this view and sentiment extends beyond the immediate crisis of the pandemic .
Workforce planning projections show that in the medium to long-term , Australia ’ s demand for nurses will significantly exceed supply with a projected shortfall of approximately 85,000 nurses by 2025 , or 123,000 nurses by 2030 .
There are also worrying issues around the nature of the nursing workforce and the need to ensure a balanced and resilient workforce across the necessary specialisms . It takes considerable time and investment to produce the highly specialised nurses required to deliver the care the community expects and deserves .
The pandemic has shown that ( despite assurances of surge capacity and systems resilience ), nursing workforce issues remain central to our national response to COVID . Even while government assures us that hospitals stand ready to provide the care required , and that nurses from non-ICU areas are being rapidly upskilled to provide ICU care , some of our most influential nursing organisations raise concerns about sustainability and workforce burnout and exhaustion .
The pandemic has provided a period of reflection on work-life balance , compensation and work conditions , work flexibility and career development opportunity . We are witnessing a global trend , referred to as ‘ The Great Resignation ’ or ‘ The Big Quit ’ where employers are seeing dramatic changes in workforce , and health is not immune . In fact , health is one of the industries with higher rates of staff turnover .
Individuals are reflecting on how well they are treated by their employers and re-evaluating their relationships with their employment . COVID-19 has made many question their career choices and options . There are many issues at play , including : workplace health and safety ; mental health , stress , burnout and exhaustion ; pay and conditions ; and attractive work options , such as remote working . New roles have been created in the health workforce , such as contact tracers , coordinating mass vaccination hubs , and COVID screening centres creating new work options and career opportunities .
Due to the increased demand on specific specialties created by the pandemic ,
“ Many professions could learn a lot from nursing , particularly in respect of integrity , advocacy and empathy .
some roles will be more at risk of burnout and exhaustion such as critical care , emergency and mental health services . This burnout may contribute to individuals exploring potentially less stressful or less labour intensive work with better pay and conditions .
Many specialities face workforce concerns . The challenging findings of the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety have identified a critical need for the registered nurse role in the aged care setting . The Health Department ’ s 2020 Aged Care Workforce Census has further identified workforce shortages and challenges with attrition . While nurses continue to deliver services to the community , this is often done at the expense of nurses ’ wellbeing with reports of nurses working excessive hours caring for excessive numbers of patients . The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation has been conducting a campaign for legislated nurse-patient ratios – the ‘ No more than four ’ campaign . All of these factors highlight workforce shortages in crucial areas .
Debate and discussion on the staff composition and number of the nursing workforce is not a new item of dialogue . There have been assertions that we have more of a distribution problem , with greater shortages in rural and remote areas rather than an absolute shortage of nurses . Across the world , models for nurse workforce planning have not accounted sufficiently for social , political and economic factors as well as contextual nuances within the profession that can influence projections .
Moreover , narrow public perceptions of the role of nurses has influenced projections of fit within a contemporary job market . Nursing is a valuable degree for a range of professional roles and nurses find themselves engaged in a range of sectors because of their knowledge , skills and competencies . Marvin Krislov wrote in Forbes Magazine that many professions could learn a lot from nursing particularly in respect of integrity , advocacy and empathy . It is still common to see nursing viewed as more of a vocation than a career choice ,
24 | nursingreview . com . au