?Serving the nursing community is the mission of the most well-known "Professional Association" for the nursing community in Australia, the Australian College of Nursing (ACN). The ACN extends its support by following values like integrity, clinical expertise, ethical conduct and professionalism. In addition to these, the institution upholds its standards through the following six dimensions

• Education
• 
  Leadership
• Community
• Social Impact
• Advocacy
• Policy

The professional association currently is a bit alarmed by the current happenings regarding the nation’s nurses. The ACN  had a shortage of these personnel from 2018 to 2020, with a peak of 7% in 2021–2022. 

The Importance of the Nursing Community for Medicine

When considering Australia’s health and wellness system, among all medical professionals “Nurses” tend to contribute the most in delivering the best patient maintenance with trust. Given below are some areas, which highlight the necessity of the nursing community for medicine:

Promoting Wellness and Primary Care:  Most of the continent’s nurses work within primary care settings. What are these primary care settings? Primary care settings typically include GP Clinics, Community Health Centres, Medical Services for Aborigines, Wellness Services for Schools and clinics led by Nurses. As per the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Their role is to deliver precautionary treatment, encourage good health and effectively handle chronic medical conditions like diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases and mental health conditions.

Rural and Remote Medical Care: According to the Australian Government’s Department of Health, nurses are the prime medical personnel who deliver wellness-related services for those within rural and remote areas. They provide essential services to the underserved populace and are employed in rural hospitals and remote clinics. 

Elderly Care: The continent has an ageing population and its members require specialised and reliable maintenance due to their diverse requirements and complications. To address this segment, some nurses specialise in elderly maintenance. In addition to providing therapeutic care and dependable, high-quality medication, they must also successfully and efficiently manage chronic health issues. The key responsibilities that nurses handle when caring for the older population are extensively highlighted by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF). Emergency Care: As the name, nurses do get involved in rescuing life and communicating with multidisciplinary medical teams. The important functions that these personnel play in Australia's hospitals' "Critical Care Units" and "Emergency Departments" are specifically mentioned here. By cutting down on wait times and ensuring patient safety, their jobs are to increase the efficacy and efficiency of hospitals, particularly in emergency rooms and critical care units. Talk about it even comes from the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM). 

Patient Support and Safety: Patient support and safety: When administering treatment, Australian nurses must take patients' rights and safety into account. Following national regulations and rules, they must simultaneously make sure that patients receive the greatest medical treatment possible. In enhancing patients' well-being, even the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) emphasises the importance of nurses.

The prime areas where the ACN requires support from the NSW government

The key areas required by the ACN from the NSW government tend to emphasise controlling infections, providing medication safely and patient-focused care practices.

These are as follows: Offering financial aid for students during the process of clinical placement. Require specialised funds for transition-to-practice curricula like Primary Health, Elderly Maintenance and Mental well-being.

These are as follows:

• Offering financial aid for students during the process of clinical placement.
• Require specialised funds for transition-to-practice curricula like Primary Health, Elderly Maintenance and Mental well-being.
• Offer a variety of scholarships for postgraduate studies.
• Create and launch a mentoring programme for nurses throughout the state.
• Create a structure for nursing and midwifery education and training that supports and finances the yearly requirement for continuous practice growth
• Assist Local Health Districts in creating a route and support nurses to improve their leadership expertise throughout their careers.
• Provide funding for the creation and execution of a nursing Transition to Retirement Programme.
• Examine the decisions about pensions and raise the secondary income limit for a high-need occupation like nursing.
• Look into block funding options to help maintain the stability of medical services

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) needs to influence the NSW government to address the shortage of nursing professionals for the betterment of the health industry. Medfuture    a leading recruitment agency in Australia has understood the complications that are to arise regarding the recruitment and retainment of qualified nursing professionals.  Collaborating with the ACN  has helped Medfuture to obtain information about the government initiatives and policies targeted to address the upcoming shortage.

Medfuture by leveraging its expertise in recruitment and through its partnerships with leading medical and wellness institutions can aid the efforts of the ACN  to connect skilled nurses with the array of opportunities that are to be provided by the NSW government. The company functions as a bridge between many prominent medical organisations and skilled candidates. This facilitates the implementation of the ACN’s recommendations and helps to contribute to a much stronger health force.  

If you want to know more about the solutions to addressing the nation’s nursing shortage with the help of the NSW government, please visit our website. We provide access to a network of qualified personnel who are committed to improving their goals set forth by the ACN and the NSW government