The Australian College of Nursing’s Pre-Budget Submission 2025-26 outlines a bold vision for the future of healthcare in Australia—one where targeted investment in nurses and midwives strengthens our system and enhances care for all Australians. As nurses, we are at the heart of this vision, with our skills, compassion, and expertise forming the backbone of service delivery across the country.
The Foundation of Healthcare: Nursing's Crucial Role
Nurses and midwives make up 54% of Australia’s health workforce and are the most geographically dispersed health professionals. This extensive reach means that, in many communities, nurses are the primary—and sometimes the only—healthcare providers. The ACN’s submission emphasises that by enabling nurses to work to the full extent of their capabilities, we can significantly improve access to safe, quality care across all settings, including:
- Primary Care and Hospitals: Delivering essential services where patients need them most.
- Maternity, Aged, and Palliative Care: Providing specialised and compassionate care throughout life.
- Specialised Areas: Enhancing services in fields like cancer, mental health, youth health, diabetes, and emergency nursing.
A Vision for Lifelong Nursing Careers
A cornerstone of the ACN’s proposal is creating sustainable, rewarding career pathways for nurses. This vision is about much more than recruitment—it’s about retention, re-engagement, and continuous professional growth. Key initiatives include:
- Attracting New Talent: Showcasing the vital contributions of nurses to elevate our profession and build a strong future workforce.
- Retaining and Re-Engaging: Implementing incentives to bring former nurses back and encouraging long-term career commitment.
- Mentorship and Leadership: Developing mentorship frameworks to ensure experienced nurses can pass on their wisdom and drive innovation in care.
Strategic Investment: Five Key Areas of Focus
The Pre-Budget Submission sets out practical solutions across five critical areas that will empower nurses and enhance healthcare outcomes:
- Elevating the Image of Nursing:
- By highlighting the indispensable role nurses play across the healthcare continuum, we can address workforce shortages and attract a new generation of passionate professionals.
- Strengthening Nurse-Led Models of Care:
- Modernising funding models and expanding referral pathways will enable nurse-led services to flourish. These models not only alleviate pressure on primary and acute care services but also improve healthcare accessibility for communities, particularly in rural and remote areas.
- Maximising Nursing Workforce Capability:
- Lifelong learning opportunities, including the proposed National Nursing Capability Passport and enhanced digital proficiency training, will ensure that nurses are well-prepared to meet the evolving challenges of specialised care areas, from aged care to home-based services.
- Enabling the Practice Environment:
- Creating supportive work environments through clinical supervision, transition-to-retirement strategies, and tailored solutions for regional settings is vital. This approach ensures that every nurse, regardless of location, can provide high-quality care.
- Cultivating Nurse Leadership:
- Empowering nurses through leadership programs and mentorship initiatives is essential for driving innovation, improving workforce retention, and achieving exceptional healthcare outcomes.
The Impact on Our Patients and Communities
Strategic investment in nursing is not just an investment in our careers—it’s an investment in the health of the nation. By enhancing our professional capacity and expanding our roles, we can:
- Improve Patient Outcomes: Enable vulnerable populations—rural and remote communities, First Nations peoples, the elderly, and the disadvantaged—to access the full spectrum of healthcare services.
- Strengthen Community Health: Provide equitable and affordable care when and where it’s needed, ultimately reducing the burden on the broader health system.
- Drive Meaningful Health Reform: As trusted professionals, nurses have the unique opportunity to influence policy and lead transformative change in healthcare delivery.
Moving Forward Together
The ACN Pre-Budget Submission 2025-26 presents achievable initiatives that will pave the way for a stronger, more resilient nursing workforce. This renewed focus on investment is a call to action for all nurses—to embrace lifelong learning, take on leadership roles, and advocate for the full realisation of our professional potential.
Your dedication and expertise are essential to creating a future where every Australian has access to quality, timely healthcare. Together, let’s champion these initiatives and ensure that our profession continues to thrive, innovate, and lead the way in transforming healthcare for all.
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Resource:
Investment in Nursing will improve healthcare access for all Australians | Australian College of Nursing
