| Increasing population numbers and the effect of | | | | home care services for the elderly. Additionally, as the |
| structural aging changes within the growing population | | | | population ages, many of the current nursing |
| is placing increasing demands on Australia's community | | | | workforce will be nearing the retirement age in the |
| nursing resources. As a result, nurses are in high | | | | near future. According to the Australian Health |
| demand in all states and territories of Australia. What | | | | Workforce Institute, the average age of a nurse is 45. |
| this means for the foreign worker contemplating the | | | | Additionally, 90,000 nurses are expected to retire by |
| move to Australia is that there are plentiful | | | | 2020. |
| opportunities to obtain good positions with excellent | | | | As the Health and Community Services industry within |
| remuneration that deliver rewarding careers, continuing | | | | Australia is the third largest industry, employing over |
| education and advancement, along with a quality of life | | | | ten percent of the country's total workforce, they |
| that Australians have enjoyed for decades. | | | | have to look at new and innovative methods to attract |
| According to AUCEC, there are a number of | | | | workers to fill the vacant nursing positions. The |
| professions that are recession proof. Nursing is one of | | | | Australian government realises the urgent nature of |
| those professions. They go on further to state that | | | | the situation and is encouraging international workers to |
| Australia is experiencing high demand for nurses which | | | | fill the available and future nursing positions. Priority visa |
| has created an employment shortage. The University | | | | applications are available to those nurses, who are |
| of California, in a recent investigation into worldwide | | | | qualified under the skilled migrant category. |
| trends of nursing employment, have compounded this | | | | The benefit of accessing a nursing career in Australia |
| by estimating that Australia will be short of 40,000 | | | | is not only a short term option. With demand for |
| Registered Nurses by the end of 2010. Like many | | | | qualified medical staff in Australia showing no signs of |
| other countries experiencing the same problems, the | | | | abating, the future prospects for career movement |
| performance of the health care system is suffering as | | | | and progression are easily achievable. According to |
| a result of these shortages, with surgeries being | | | | Access Economics, the demand for nursing in the |
| postponed and individuals in need of medical attention | | | | future will grow even further, fuelled by an aging |
| being pushed further and further down the waiting list. | | | | population and rising community standards in relation to |
| The AUCEC has identified several factors contributing | | | | health care services provided. Do you want to make a |
| to these shortages, which includes an aging population. | | | | real difference in people's lives, while enjoying the |
| This has a double edged effect whereby the | | | | nature, friendliness and culture that Australia provides? |
| increasing median age of the population results in | | | | Consider a nursing job in Australia and you won't |
| intensified pressure to provide specialist health and | | | | regret it. |