2 Objectives and scope The objective of this report is to reflect the outcomes of the work undertaken by HWA during 2012-13 to identify opportunities for nationally co-ordinated action that will generate improvement in the retention of nurses in the profession, and boost productivity. The has been on identifying actions that federal, state and territory Health Ministers can take collectively. It is clear from consultation with key stakeholders that a wide array of innovations and initiatives are being pursued (see Attachment 1 for consultation process). The aim of this report is to put forward recommended changes in the system that will further enable and encourage diffusion of innovation in the workplace, recognising there are often many paths to achieving an outcome at the local level. are many areas that will improve nursing workforce sustainability that are not specifically addressed in this report. Some of these include the education and training pipeline, recruitment, workforce distribution in specific areas and settings, retention across the career span (for example strategies for older nurses or temporary exits due to parenting) and immigration. Some of these issues are being addressed in other HWA work (see Attachment 2). Further investigation into other areas may be warranted in future work. there are recommended actions in this report that relate to education and training capacity for the nursing workforce, the principal objective of these and the overall suite of recommendations is to improve nursing workforce retention and productivity. Midwives are not included in this report. The midwifery workforce will be examined in future HWA work, within the development of maternity services planning. The identification and formulation of the recommendations for action set out in this report were guided by the following principles: Orientated towards enabling outcomes Reflective of consultations, research and the evidence Realistic given current fiscal context Manageable in number Amenable to action by Ministers collectively Focused on ensuring national workforce sustainability The advice and feedback from all phases of the consultation process, together with the literature evidence, has been considered during the development of this report. There are important and persistent issues relating to the distribution of the nursing workforce across geographical areas, sectors (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander,
2 Objectives and scope The objective of this report is to reflect the outcomes of the work undertaken by HWA during 2012-13 to identify opportunities for nationally co-ordinated action that will generate improvement in the retention of nurses in the profession, and boost productivity. The has been on identifying actions that federal, state and territory Health Ministers can take collectively. It is clear from consultation with key stakeholders that a wide array of innovations and initiatives are being pursued (see Attachment 1 for consultation process). The aim of this report is to put forward recommended changes in the system that will further enable and encourage diffusion of innovation in the workplace, recognising there are often many paths to achieving an outcome at the local level. are many areas that will improve nursing workforce sustainability that are not specifically addressed in this report. Some of these include the education and training pipeline, recruitment, workforce distribution in specific areas and settings, retention across the career span (for example strategies for older nurses or temporary exits due to parenting) and immigration. Some of these issues are being addressed in other HWA work (see Attachment 2). Further investigation into other areas may be warranted in future work. there are recommended actions in this report that relate to education and training capacity for the nursing workforce, the principal objective of these and the overall suite of recommendations is to improve nursing workforce retention and productivity. Midwives are not included in this report. The midwifery workforce will be examined in future HWA work, within the development of maternity services planning. The identification and formulation of the recommendations for action set out in this report were guided by the following principles: Orientated towards enabling outcomes Reflective of consultations, research and the evidence Realistic given current fiscal context Manageable in number Amenable to action by Ministers collectively Focused on ensuring national workforce sustainability The advice and feedback from all phases of the consultation process, together with the literature evidence, has been considered during the development of this report. There are important and persistent issues relating to the distribution of the nursing workforce across geographical areas, sectors (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander,
Nursing%20Workforce%20Sustainability%20-%20Improving%20Nurse%20Retention%20and%20Productivity%20report.docx