Nursing as a profession today is very flexible, with several career paths and specializations available which are in demand everywhere around the world, with various benefits.
In a similar way, even Australia has a great demand for nurses and medical practioners. The Australian government spends a great budget on the healthcare sector, and since there is a shortage of nurses in Australia, nurses have lots of benefits. Further, Nursing in Australia comes with the possibility of a PR opportunity. Since Nursing is an in-demand job in Australia, it has a great job prospect, and graduates are very likely to be stable financially.
What skills does a nurse require?
A good nurse should be passionate about helping others, understand science and be able to think critically through complex scenarios. You’ll be culturally aware and have excellent communication skills.
In Australia, nursing could be different to in your home country. There are opportunities to work rurally or with Aboriginal communities. In general, although drug names may be different, education levels, expected work week hours and employment options are the same. RN to patient ratios in Australia are about 1:4.
Employment Opportunities
No matter which part of the world you live in or where you want to study, the nursing profession will always offer fantastic job opportunities. The salary may vary, but nursing is a future-proof profession, meaning, nurses are in demand whether it is a recession or inflation period.
The scope of nursing turns out to be more substantial when it comes to countries like Australia and Canada. The Australian government spends a decent amount of their budget on the healthcare sector, making sure that the citizens receive only the best of the best healthcare services.
According to a report by The Indeed Hiring Lab, nursing makes up 30% of healthcare job postings and nursing in Australia faces severe shortages, with employers struggling to find suitable candidates. Australia’s ageing population is a major driving force for this demand. This presents plenty of opportunities for new and experienced nurses to find employment and advance in their area of speciality.
However, over the past few years, the country has been facing a shortage of qualified nurses. The government authorities and operative bodies have initiated a bridging or IRON (Initial Registration for Overseas Nurses) program to address this shortage. The program is designed to attract overseas nursing graduates by making them aware of the newer technologies and Australian health care settings.
Health Care and Social Assistance is Australia’s biggest employing industry, employing over 1.8 million people as of 2021. This number is anticipated to exceed 2 million by 2025. Australia is also home to an ageing population; by the year 2040, it is estimated that 20 per cent of Australians will be over the age of 65 and 1.2 million of the nation’s residents will be over the age of 85. As more people enter retirement and reach old age, the demand for nurses in Australia is expected to remain consistently high. So, if you decide to work in Australia after your studies, you’ll reap the benefits of diverse employment opportunities and job security.
Some of the most in-demand nursing positions in Australia are assistants in nursing (AIN), clinical nurses, enrolled nurses (EN) and mental health nurses. But the list doesn’t stop there; midwives, nurse educators, nurse managers, nurse practitioners and registered nurses (RN) are also consistently in demand in Australia.
Not to mention, the skills you’ll learn while studying nursing in Australia are transferable, meaning you can apply them just about anywhere in the world. In other words, studying nursing in Australia could be the first step in kickstarting your global healthcare career.
The completion of the program also enables overseas nurses to earn five migration points towards permanent residency in Australia. Once you are a registered nurse in the country, you can find job opportunities in hospitals, private clinics, schools and community centres, where you can practice nursing with a befitting salary.
Nursing Salary in Australia
Salary in AUD
Nursing Assistant
$42,000 – $60,000
Enrolled Nurse
$50,000 – $67,000
Registered Nurse
$58,000 – $92,000
Clinical Nurse
$69,000 – $108,000
Nurse Practitioner
$101,000 – $127,000
Nurse Manager
$95,000 – $130,000
Director of Nursing
$140,000 – $200,000
