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The Nursing Profession in Australia

Nursing in Australia is similar in many ways to nursing in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. The Australian public health system faces waiting lists and budget constraints, similar shift patterns and drug names, and not forgetting that a nurses' unique sense of humour and self-preservation skills are easily transferable to Australia.

The Australian Nursing Council (ANC) developes and maintains national competency standards for registered and enrolled nurses, the ANC Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia and the ANC code of Professional Conduct, copies of these standards and codes can be found on the ANC website. The ANC is the designated authority to assess the qualifications of overseas nurses who wish to Migrate to Australia.

Australian nurses can keep abreast of what's happening in the professional arena by becoming a member of the Royal College of Nursing Australia (RCNA). The RCNA runs a Program called 3LP - Life Long Learning Program. It adds to your portfolio and shows you are motivated and committed to personal and professional development.

The types of Nursing job options available in Australia include:

  • Registered Nurse
  • Acute Care Nurse
  • Aged Care Nurse
  • Clinical Nurse Consultant
  • Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Community Nurse
  • Paediatrics Nurse
  • Remote/Rural Area Nurse
  • Registered Mental Health Nurse
  • Psychiatric Nurse
  • Registered Developmental Disability Nurse
  • Registered Mental Retardation Nurse
  • Nurse Manager
  • Nursing Unit Manager
  • Nursing Supervisor
  • Charge Nurse
  • Charge Sister
  • Nurse Educator
  • Clinical Nurse Educator
  • Staff Development Nurse
  • Nurse Researcher
  • Registered Midwife
  • Certified Midwife

Wages and Conditions

The wages and conditions for nurses in Australia are determined by various Awards and Agreements. Generally speaking, awards of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission provide the legal minimum for wages and working conditions. In addition to this, nurses in the public health sector and in private hospitals are normally covered by an industrial agreement which provide additional wages and working conditions. While there is some degree of consistency, wages and conditions can vary depending on the relevant State/Territory and the specific area of nursing.

Annual wages can vary between $40,000 to $130,000 for a general nurse depending on a number of factors some of which are qualifications held, experience, location, position held ect.

Each award states the maximum number of hours and days an employee can work without receiving any extra payment such as overtime. These hours are called ordinary hours. The award specifies the earliest starting time and the latest finishing time for ordinary hours. Hours worked outside these limits, or more than the maximum daily or weekly limits, must be paid as overtime.

Depending on the award the weekly total will usually be 38 or 40 hours. The days on which these hours may be worked (e.g. Monday to Friday), a daily total (e.g. 10 hours maximum) and the times of the day within which they may be worked (e.g. between 6.00 am and 6.00 pm) are also commonly prescribed. Increasingly, common in awards is a provision that allows for the averaging of the weekly hours over a 2, 3 or 4 week cycle.

Nurses in the public health system are covered by the facility's public liability and professional indemnity insurance. However if you are working for an agency or private hospital you must be sure to find out if you are covered. Purchasing your own professional indemnity insurance from the Australian Nursing Federation is strongly recommended. You have to be a member to have insurance.

Conditions of Employment

For information about salaries and conditions of employment visit the website of the Australian Nursing Federation branch in the State or Territory where you wish to practice.

Registration Requirements

The Australian Nursing Midwifery Council is recognised in Australia as the peak professional body established in 1992 to facilitate a national approach to nursing and midwifery regulation. The Australian Nursing Midwifery Council works with state and territory Nursing and Midwifery Regulatory Authorities in evolving standards for statutory nursing and midwifery regulation. They also are the designated assessing authority appointed by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship to conduct skill and qualification assessments for the purposes of General Skilled Migration and the Employer Nomination Scheme.

All nurses must be registered within the State or Territory in which they work, the details of the relevant state registration boards and councils are below:

Nursing Board of Tasmania
151 Davey Street
Hobart, Tas 7000
Phone: +61 3 6224 3991
Fax:     +61 3 6224 3995

ACT Nursing & Midwifery Board
Suite 1 Scala House
11 Torrens Street
BRADDON, ACT 2612
Phone: +61 2 6207 0413
Fax:       +61 2 6205 1602

Nurses and Midwives Board of NSW
Level 6 (North Wing)
477 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 2 9219 0222 or 1800 241 220 (NSW rural access)
Fax:      +61 2 9281 2030

Nursing and Midwifery Board of the Northern Territory
2nd Floor, Harbour View Plaza
cnr McMinns & Bennett Streets
Darwin NT 0812
Phone: +61 8 8999 4157
Fax:      +61 8 8999 4196

Nurses Board of South Australia
200 East Terrace
Adelaide SA 5000
Phone: +61 8 8223 9700
Fax:      +61 8 8223 9717

Nurses Board of Victoria
595 Little Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 8635 1200
Fax:      +61 3 8635 1248

Nurses and Midwives Board of Western Australia
165 Adelaide Terrace
East Perth WA 6892
Phone: +61 8 9421 1100
Fax:      +61 8 9421 1022

Queensland Nursing Council
Level 14
201 Charlotte Street
Brisbane QLD 4000
Phone: +61 7 3223 5111 or 1300 139 993 (for Qld callers outside Brisbane)
Fax:      +61 7 3223 5115