Building the new primary care nursing workforce
The Primary Care Nurse Transition Program is for new graduate registered nurses across Australia. Applications for 2021 close on on the 30th October 2020.
PCCS developed the Primary Care Nurse Transition Program as an innovative solution to help address the current shortage of nurses in primary care, the shortage of nursing placements in existing graduate transition programs and the shortage of nurses in rural and regional Australia.
The general practice nursing workforce is ageing with most nurses now in their 50s (nearly 41% of registered nurses and 46% of enrolled nurses). This current workforce is moving towards retirement over the next five to 10 years and it is estimated that by 2025 there will be an overall shortage of 110,000 nurses across Australia.
Primary health care nursing is an underdeveloped and underutilised resource in Australia. There is great potential for improving the health care system by enhancing the role of nurses in primary health care.
Implementing the Primary Care Nurse Transition Program aligns with current Department of Health priorities to support workforce development and training in general practice.