Primary health care nursing peak welcomes careers campaign but urges action

Media Release -12 February 2025

The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) welcomes the Federal Government’s launch of the first-ever Primary Health Care Careers Campaign, calling it a much-needed step in elevating primary health care. 

APNA has long advocated for a national campaign to showcase the critical role of primary health care nurses, most recently in its submission to the 2025 Federal Budget. This initiative shines a light on the rewarding careers in aged care, community health, general practice, nursing, midwifery, and allied health—roles essential to keeping Australians healthy. 

APNA Chief Executive Officer Ken Griffin said the campaign is an important first step but warned that more needs to be done to keep primary health care nurses in the system. 

“Australia needs the right primary healthcare nurse, with the right skills, in the right place—because great care starts in the community. 

“For the first time, primary healthcare careers are getting the attention they deserve - because keeping people healthy starts long before they reach a hospital. 

“This two-month campaign is a great start, but it won’t solve a primary health care workforce issue that’s been building for decades.  

“We need a long-term, sustained effort to attract, train, and retain primary health care nurses where they are needed most.” 

The latest APNA 2024 Primary Health Care Nursing and Midwifery Workforce Survey found that nearly one in five primary healthcare nurses say they are unlikely to still be in the sector within the next 2–5 years. 

“Raising awareness is step one. But if we’re serious about fixing workforce shortages, we will need sustained investment in career pathways, education, and workforce planning,” Mr Griffin said. 

APNA is calling for a structured approach to careers matching, ensuring the right nurse, with the right skills, is in the right place to deliver the best care for patients. 

In welcoming the campaign’s inclusion of nurses, GPs, midwives, and allied health professionals, APNA stresses the need for ongoing targeted initiatives to ensure primary health care nursing remains viable and attractive in the long-term. 

“This campaign gets people interested in primary health care nursing. Now, we need to make sure they find the right job, and have a career worth staying for,” Mr Griffin said. 

Media contact

Rebecca Burdick Davies – 0401 619 280

About the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA)

APNA represents over 98,000 primary health care nurses in Australia working outside of hospitals, including those employed in general practice, schools, aged care facilities, correctional facilities and wider community settings.are.