New Plan to better use Nurse Practitioners

NP Workforce Plan will help to address Australia’s future health challenges 

Media Statement 15 May 2023 

Today’s release of the Nurse Practitioner Workforce Plan is a welcome follow-up to last week’s Budget announcements supporting Nurse Practitioners (NPs). 

 APNA supports the Plan, which was developed with significant nursing input, which will better utilise the expertise of highly-skilled NPs to address soaring demands for health and aged care services, as well as chronic workforce shortages, across the country. 

The Plan builds on Budget announcements that provide a 30% increase in Medicare rebates for NP care, a new scholarship program to support registered nurses to become NPs and remove red tape preventing NPs from providing patients with health services they’re qualified and trained to do. 

An ageing population and rising levels of chronic disease mean that the health care needs of Australians are changing. Primary health care delivery models must adapt to meet these increasing demands, requiring new ways of delivering health care.  

On a policy level, the elimination of Collaborative Arrangements for NPs and the Scope of Practice review have the potential to advance how Australia delivers care. 

NPs have the skill, knowledge and expertise to provide preventative care, and to diagnose and treat acute and chronic health conditions, to meet this need. For this reason, we must reduce the barriers for nurses to study to become NPs, including helping university applicants to find placement opportunities and accessing a supervising team. 

APNA looks forward to working further with the Albanese Government and other key stakeholders to implement the Plan and secure a sustainable pipeline of Nurse Practitioners to provide care for patients now and into the future. 

Read more about the Plan here: https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/nurse-practitioner-workforce-plan