Nursing workforce in very remote Australia, characteristics and key issues
Sue Lenthall1, John Wakerman, Tess Opie
1Centre for Remote Health, Flinders University & Charles Darwin University, Alice Springs, South Australia, Australia. sue.lenthall@flinders.edu.au
The Australian Journal of Rural Health
|January 27, 2011
Summary
Australia's remote nursing workforce is ageing and declining, with significant drops in midwives and child health nurses. This trend threatens Indigenous health outcomes and the "closing the gap" initiative.
Area of Science:
- Rural Health
- Nursing Workforce Studies
- Indigenous Health
Background:
- The nursing workforce is crucial for healthcare delivery in remote Australian settings.
- Understanding the characteristics and challenges of this workforce is essential for maintaining health services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the nursing workforce in very remote Australia.
- To identify key characteristics and issues affecting remote nurses.
Main Methods:
- Data sourced from the CRANAplus database, 2006 census, and national surveys on occupational stress and violence.
- Descriptive analysis of collected data was performed.
Main Results:
- The remote nursing workforce is predominantly female (89%) and ageing (40.2% over 50).
- A significant decrease in registered nurses with midwifery (55%) and child health (39%) qualifications observed.
- Many remote nurses (43%) work in Indigenous communities; only 5% possess postgraduate remote health qualifications.
Conclusions:
- The nursing workforce in very remote Australia faces critical challenges, including an ageing population and declining numbers of essential specialists.
- These trends negatively impact healthcare access, particularly for Indigenous communities, potentially hindering efforts to 'close the gap' in health outcomes.
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