An Aged Care Amendment Bill is currently being seen before the Senate, but its requirements may be impacted by an ongoing nursing shortage. The Amendment Bill proposes that all approved aged care facilities should be required to always have at least one registered nurse on duty.
The Australian Government Department of Health reports there are around 450,000 registered nurses and midwives working in Australia.
The pandemic has had an immense and undeniable impact on the medical workforce. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, workers across the health sector have felt the strain and pressure of providing essential services, at times doing so without the resources they need.
According to a report by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), roughly one in five registered nurses reports more nurses are leaving the profession. Additionally, 90 per cent of nurses reported feeling ‘somewhat or extremely concerned’ about a shortage driven by heavy workloads, insufficient resources, and burnout. With more and more nurses feeling this strain, it may be difficult for increased requirements on nurses’ availability to be met.
ICN also reported evidence suggests nurses worldwide are experiencing mass trauma as a result of their work during the pandemic.
“We are witnessing a unique and complex occupational trauma that is affecting the global nursing workforce. Nurses are dealing with relentless, unprecedented demands from their patients, resulting in physical exhaustion,” said ICN CEO Howard Catton.
ICN predicts four million nurses will retire by 2030, leaving the health sector shorthanded.
At least 115,000 health workers across the world have also died as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by the World Health Organisation and supported by ICN.
“I am deeply concerned about the state of the nursing profession, the mental and physical trauma nurses have endured over the past year and the many who may suffer post-traumatic stress,” ICN President Annette Kennedy said.
“The strain that nurses are under is unacceptable, and it is no surprise that so many are feeling the pressure and deciding that they can no longer continue in the jobs they love. When dedicated and experienced nurses call time on their profession, it is a clear indication that something is seriously wrong,” said Ms Kennedy.
Howard Catton says the shortage of nurses experienced worldwide is an important reminder of why healthcare services need to be better funded and organised.
“This unwelcome anniversary should be a line in the sand that marks a fundamental change in how health care services are funded and organised. One year on [from the start of the pandemic], the nursing workforce is looking over a precipice: the COVID Effect on nursing is real, it’s an imminent threat to the security and strength of our health care systems, and it might get even worse.”
As Australia continues to deal with the many consequences of the pandemic’s strain on the health sector, it may be necessary to adapt to the changes nurses are experiencing in the workforce.
The Aged Care Amendment Bill is waiting on its second reading.
Please support us by liking and following this page so we may continue to publish impartial news coverage.
