Funding to grow primary care nursing workforce

The federal government’s $4.2 million investment in the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) National Nursing Clinical Placements Program (NNCPP) will help grow the next generation of primary care nurses and tackle staff shortages, according to APNA.

The funding is aimed at placing 6000 nursing students over the next three years, and in South Australia alone, 50 students have already been placed in primary health care settings, a number that will grow to 500 placements in the next three years.

Speaking at the APNA Essential Health Summit at the Adelaide Convention Centre, APNA President Karen Booth said, “Traditionally, nursing students have not been placed in primary health care (PHC), but we’re changing that, with APNA placing 644 students in primary health care throughout 2023. The NNCPP is shaping nursing students’ attitudes and learning experiences, giving them valuable insights into how rewarding a career in primary health care can be.

“With the average age of a PHC nurse 49.5 years, the program is crucial in helping us bring through the next generation of qualified nurses and building a sustainable nursing workforce at a time of looming staffing shortages, particularly in aged care.”

APNA CEO Ken Griffin said the findings of the APNA 2023 Workforce Survey showed how the program was helping retain and recruit nurses to the PHC sector — 93.4% of students said they had a ‘positive experience’ on their APNA placement; after their APNA placement, 67.2% of nursing students said they would consider PHC for their career path; and 23.4% of nursing students were offered employment following their APNA student placement.

“The NNCPP provides the pathway for the creation of a new PHC workforce and we thank the Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler and the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney for their ongoing support,” he said.

Over 1000 primary health care professionals from across Australia attended the Essential Health Summit led by the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) and the Australasian Society for Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM). Key speakers at the summit included Hon Ged Kearney, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care; Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston; Professor Michael Kidd, Global Primary Care and Future Health Systems, UNSW and Oxford University; and Professor Greta Westwood, CEO, Florence Nightingale Foundation (UK).

Image credit: iStock.com/Supitnan Pimpisarn