Primary Health Care Nursing Insights - Webinar One, Activities and Utilisation

The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) recently hosted the first in a three-part webinar series exploring the current and future state of Australia's primary health care nursing workforce.

APNA's General Manager of Health Care Solutions, Mia Dhillon, opened the event by welcoming Adjunct Professor Alison McMillan, Australia's Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer. 

Alison outlined significant workforce challenges, noting that Australia's 500,000-strong nursing and midwifery workforce faces a projected shortfall of nearly 80,000 nurses by 2035—over 26,000 in primary health care.

A national nursing workforce strategy is underway, with four priorities: enhancing workforce planning, education, and regulation, enabling nursing innovation, elevating the nursing profession, and delivering a sustainable nursing workforce. 

Alison called for stronger primary care content in nursing education: "I'd like to see that there is meaningful content on both prevention and primary care nursing in the undergraduate curriculum." 

She also highlighted the need for clearer career pathways: "In the acute health system, you can see clearer the pathways for career development and career advancement. And we simply don't have those things in primary care nursing yet, but with work, I think we can do that."

Emphasising the need for multidisciplinary care models as Australia's population ages, Alison closed with a call to action: "I call on everyone who's listening today to make sure you're participating with APNA and participating in the profession so that we can have that voice at the table to help bring about these changes."

Mia then introduced Lisa Collison, APNA's General Manager of Research and Innovation, who shared findings from APNA's latest Workforce Survey of over 3,000 respondents. "Nurses and midwives reported working across more than 25 different settings—from general practice and aged care to correctional health and even ocean liners," Lisa said.

"In many rural and remote settings, they are the only healthcare provider in the community," she added.

Lisa noted that 70.3% of respondents often work to the full scope of practice—a significant improvement since COVID-19—but 30% still do so only occasionally. There was strong interest in advanced practice: 47% of nurses wanted to take on more complex clinical work, though 28% faced barriers like resource constraints.

"There really is an appetite for advanced roles and greater responsibility in primary health care," she concluded.

Dr Paresh Dawda, GP and Director of Next Practice Deakin used a practical lens to describe how his team of GPs, pharmacists, social workers, and nurses manages 4,000 patients, over half of whom are 65+.

"I couldn't look after those 110 housebound patients without that team," he said.

He highlighted nurse-led innovations such as managing fluid overload with syringe drivers and behavioural clinics that reduce psychotropic use in dementia care. His practice also supports student placements and nurse practitioner training.

Finally, Luke Elias, Director of Primary Health Programs and Partnerships at Healthy North Coast PHN, offered a regional perspective. He praised Australia's nursing workforce, referencing the country's top ranking in the recent Commonwealth Fund report, but stressed the need for reform.

Luke outlined four priority areas: workforce supply and demand, capability, access to team-based care, and closing service gaps.

"How do we, in very basic terms, make one nurse… have the output of one and a half?" he asked, emphasising smarter systems over heavier workloads.

The session wrapped with a clear message: the future of primary health care depends on supporting, expanding, and empowering its nursing workforce.