Factsheet, Nursing and Midwifery 2019

Source: National Health Workforce Data Sets (NHWDS), 2019

Nurses and Midwives

Between 2015 and 2018, the total number of students commencing a general nursing course leading to initial registration increased by 20.7% from 22,056 to 26,626 (a compound annual growth rate of 6.5%). The number of students completing these courses increased 26.8% from 12,009 to 15,225 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 8.2%).

Between 2016 and 2019, the total number of nurses and midwives with general or provisional registration increased by 9.5% from 364,632 to 399,364 (a compound annual growth rate of 3.1%). The number of employed nurses and midwives (‘workforce’) increased 9.4% from 315,164 to 344,941 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 3.1%).

The number of employed nurses and midwives who worked as clinicians increased 11.0% from 284,393, to 315,621 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 3.5%). Clinicians are nurses and midwives who indicated that the principal role of their main job was clinician (nurses / midwives, including managers and supervisors, involved in direct patient care). Non-clinicians are nurses and midwives who indicated that the principal role of their main job was administrator, teacher, educator, research or other.

Between 2016 and 2019, the Australian population increased by 4.9% (a compound annual growth rate of 1.6%). Comparatively, the nursing graduates are increasing at five times the rate of the population and the nursing and midwifery workforce is increasing at almost two times the rate of the population.

The nursing and midwifery unemployment rate has remained stable at 2.8% of the labour force since 2016.

The following analysis of the Nursing and Midwifery ‘workforce’ is drawn from the number of employed nurses and midwives (344,941 in 2019 as indicated by maroon shading in figure 1) unless otherwise stated.

Registered Nurses

Between 2016 and 2019, the total number of Registered Nurses with general or provisional registration increased by 10.1% from 300,997 to 331,415 (a compound annual growth rate of 3.3%). The number of employed Registered Nurses (‘workforce’) increased 10.2% from 260,263 to 286,907 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 3.3%).

The number of employed Registered Nurses who worked as clinicians increased 12.1% from 231,011 to 259,017 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 3.9%). Clinicians are Registered Nurses who indicated that the principal role of their main job was clinician (nurses, including managers and supervisors, involved in direct patient care). Non-clinicians are Registered Nurses who indicated that the principal role of their main job was administrator, teacher, educator, research or other.

The following analysis of the Registered Nurse ‘workforce’ is drawn from the number of employed Registered Nurses who were working in nursing (286,907 in 2019 as indicated by maroon shading in figure 1) unless otherwise stated.

Enrolled Nurses

Between 2016 and 2019, the total number of Enrolled Nurses with general or provisional registration increased by 4.5% from 59,576 to 62,281 (a compound annual growth rate of 1.5%). The number of employed Enrolled Nurses (‘workforce’) increased 3.4% from 51,454 to 53,219 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 1.1%).

The number of employed Enrolled Nurses who worked as clinicians increased 4.3% from 48,741, to 50,823 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 1.4%). Clinicians are Enrolled Nurses who indicated that the principal role of their main job was clinician (nurses including managers and supervisors, involved in direct patient care). Non clinicians are Enrolled Nurses who indicated that the principal role of their main job was administrator, teacher, educator, research or other. The following analysis of the Enrolled Nurse ‘workforce’ is drawn from the number of employed Enrolled Nurses who were working in nursing (53,129 in 2019 as indicated by maroon shading in figure 1) unless otherwise stated.

Midwives

Between 2016 and 2019, the total number of midwives with general or provisional registration decreased by 0.6% from 30,333 to 30,160 (a compound annual decrease of 0.2%). The number of employed midwives working in midwifery (‘workforce’) decreased by 1.5% from 26,777 to 26,380 over the same period (a compound annual decrease of 0.5%).

The number of employed midwives who worked as clinicians increased 4.9% from 22,707, to 23,824 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 1.6%). Clinicians are midwives who indicated that the principal role of their main job was clinician (midwives, including managers and supervisors, involved in direct patient care). Non-clinicians are midwives who indicated that the principal role of their main job was administrator, teacher, educator, research or other. The following analysis of the midwifery ‘workforce’ is based on the number of midwives working in 2019 (26,380 as indicated by maroon shading in figure 1) unless otherwise stated.

Nurse Practitioners

Between 2016 and 2019, the total number of Nurse Practitioners with general or provisional registration increased by 32.4% from 1,417 to 1,876 (a compound annual growth rate of 9.8%). The number of employed Nurse Practitioners (‘workforce’) increased 31.8% from 1,341 to 1,767 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 9.6%).

The number of employed Nurse Practitioners who worked as clinicians increased 32.7% from 1,237 to 1,641 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 9.9%). Clinicians are Nurse Practitioners who indicated that the principal role of their main job was clinician (nurses, including managers and supervisors, involved in direct patient care). Non-clinicians are Nurse Practitioners who indicated that the principal role of their main job was administrator, teacher, educator, research or other.

Currently the workforce survey does not collect information on whether a nurse is employed in a job in which a nurse practitioner endorsement is required or utilised. This will be rectified in the 2020 data. The following analysis of the Nurse Practitioner ‘workforce’ is based on the number of nurses who held a Nurse Practitioner endorsement and were employed (1,767 in 2019), unless otherwise stated.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses & Midwives

Between 2016 and 2019, the total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives with general or provisional registration increased by 37.0% from 3,677 to 5,037 (a compound annual growth rate of 11.1%). The number of employed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives (‘workforce’) increased 36.4% from 3,202 to 4,369 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 10.9%).

The number of employed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives who worked as clinicians increased 41.4% from 2,838 to 4,012 over the same period (a compound annual growth rate of 12.2%). Clinicians are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives who indicated that the principal role of their main job was clinician (nurses / midwives, including managers and supervisors, involved in direct patient care). Non-clinicians are nurses and midwives who indicated that the principal role of their main job was administrator, teacher, educator, research or other.

The following analysis of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery ‘workforce’ is drawn from the number of employed nurses and midwives (4,369 in 2019 as indicated by blue shading in figure 1) unless otherwise stated.