Improving Nursing Workforce Management

This assignment discusses the importance of improving nursing workforce management in Australia. It provides recommendations for workplace capacity building through leadership training programs, retaining nurses to ensure a stable workforce, and promoting productivity by rewarding innovators. The document also references various studies and reports related to health workforce migration, retention, and distribution.

Running head: WORKFORCE PLANNING REPORT
Workforce planning report
Student’s name
Lecturer’s name
Institute of affiliation
Date

WORKFORCE PLANNING 2
Contents
Abbreviations page..........................................................................................................................2
Summary..........................................................................................................................................4
Introduction......................................................................................................................................5
RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS........................................................................................................6
An updated workforce profile on the nursing workforce in Australia (2009, 2012, 2015).........6
Additional findings from other recent research materials............................................................8
Status of the nursing work force..................................................................................................9
Geographic distribution of the nursing workforce.....................................................................10
The major recommendations in the nursing workforce sustainability report 2014...................11
References......................................................................................................................................11

WORKFORCE PLANNING 3
Abbreviations page
AIHW-Australia Institute of Health and Welfare
HWA-Health Workforce Australia
AHFW-Australia Future Health Workforce
FTE- Full-time Equivalent

WORKFORCE PLANNING 4
Summary
Australia is a country and continent surrounded by the Indian and the Pacific Ocean. Its
rapid population growth has created a high demand for healthcare. The high population is a big
challenge to the government in ensuring efficient provision of healthcare. Australian has the
following different bodies that help in registration of health professionals.
The Australia Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is a governmental body
established in Australia. The main purpose of the body is to maintain the heal care system in
Australia. The rapid demand for proper health care in the country was a major challenge to the
AIHW. AIHW give a biennial health report on their website profiling the current health status of
the country that covers a range of areas related to the healthcare system.
The AIHW developed a number of systems to manage the rapid demand caused by
mainly the ageing population in the country. One of them is the Health Workforce Australia
(HWA), that led to the approval of Australia's Future Health Workforce- nurses (AFHW) whose
report was accepted and published by the Commonwealth. AFHW also made recommendations
in its reports that were meant to improve the nurse workforce for the efficiency, good leadership
and productivity. AIHW maintains other areas of the healthcare system in the country though it's
a major challenge to them.

WORKFORCE PLANNING 5
Introduction
A country's development is greatly determined by the health condition of its citizens.
Therefore, it is the responsibility of a government to ensure that they provide good health care to
the population. A health care system is responsible for the provision of health care to a person or
systems (Mason,2013). This work will report on the progress of the Australia Nursing Workforce
based on reports written by the Australia Institute of Health Welfare website and other relevant
reference materials.
The paper provides an updated profile of the nursing workforce in Australia in reference
referring to AFHW (pg. 8, 9) and other number of issues. For instance, the paper will give a
summarized information on the findings from the use of recent materials by the nurse and
midwives workforce. The information showing the status of the workforce. Then a short
discussion on the geographic distribution of the nursing workforce from the reports compiled by
the Australia Institute of Health from their website. Address the recommendations given in the
Nursing Workforce Sustainability Report 2014. lastly, personal reflection on the information read
from the research materials to determine the relevance of the recommendations given in the
Nursing Workforce Sustainability Report 2014 in 2018.

WORKFORCE PLANNING 6
RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS
An updated workforce profile on the nursing workforce in Australia (2009, 2012, 2015)
Source: Nursing and midwifery workforce 2014 Web report Last updated 09 Jun 2016 Author:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
Table 1a: Workforce characteristics of employed Registered Nurses and Midwives
Workforce characteristics 2009 2012 2015
Headcount 225,040 238,520 284,245
FTE nurses 198,924 212,659 256,034
FTE per 100,000 population 905.9 936.4 958
Male proportion (%) 8.9 9.2 10.9
Average age (years) 44.9 46 44.1
Proportion aged 50+ (%) - 45.5 37.3
Source: AIHW NHWDS
The data incorporate the registered and dual citizens people.
Full-time equivalent (FTE) working an average of 38 hours per week (2009, 2012) and 33.5
hours per week (2015).
Table 1b: Workforce characteristics of employed Enrolled Nurses

WORKFORCE PLANNING 7
Workforce characteristics 2009 2012 2015
FTE nurses 242,521 255,174 51,070
FTE per 100,000 population 1,104.10 1,123.60 1,138
Male proportion (%) 9.6 10.2 9.4
Average age (years) 44.3 44.6 46.3
Proportion aged 50+ (%) 36.3 39.1 47.7
Source: AIHW NHWDS
The data incorporate the registered and dual citizens people.
Full-time equivalent (FTE) working an average of 38 hours per week (2009, 2012) and 33.5
hours per week (2015).
Table 1c: Workforce characteristics of all employed nurses (including Midwives)

WORKFORCE PLANNING 8
Workforce characteristics 2009 2012 2015
FTE nurses 43,614 42,467 307,104
FTE per 100,000 population 198.2 187 179
Male proportion (%) 9.8 10.4 10.7
Average age (years) 44.2 44.3 44.4
Proportion aged 50+ (%) - 37.7 39
Source: AIHW NHWDS
The data include nurses and midwives with dual citizenship
Full-time equivalent (FTE) working an average of 38 hours per week (2009, 2012) and 33.5
hours per week (2015).
Additional findings from other recent research materials
According to other recent research materials, the Australia Nursing Workforce faced
major challenges due to the escalating demand for a sufficient health care in the country. The
demand led to the adoption of different ways as a solution to the rapid need for a better
healthcare.
The Australian Government Department of health succeeded to improve the performance
of their nursing workforce by implementing certain projects and undertakings. The improvement
helped to stabilize the number of their nursing workforce (Heywood et al 2015). According to
Australia's future workforce – nurses, these implementations made the following impact.
The abolishment of the Health Workforce Australia and the approval of nursing
workforce Sustainability retained the nurses. Report for publication proved that a number of

WORKFORCE PLANNING 9
nurses were retained within the workforce after health workforce amendment (Crittenden et al
2015).
Australia's future workforce increased the number of nurse practitioners (NPs) and
registered nurses (RNs) which strengthened the workforce. It reduced the number of enrolled
nurses (ERs) as well to ensure they upgrade their level of education. That resulted in quality
services that were offered by the NPs and RNs within the nursing workforce.
The increased supply of workforce balanced the weights between demand and supply.
That was achieved through retention of nurses, hiring of foreign professionals, conducting
leadership training for workplace and capacity building. The nurse employees were encouraged
and their innovations were rewarded through the workforce. That motivated the new graduates
and addressed different barriers to innovations (Fenech et al (2014).
According to the nursing and midwifery report 2015, aged people care was supplied with
more number of nurses. The supply led to an increased number of registered nurses to 360,000
slightly higher than the previous years. That increased the number of working hours significantly
from 38 hours to 33.5 hours per week.
Status of the nursing workforce
According to AHFW Nurses’ report, the current position of the nurse workforce stability
is promising. The stability was proven by the increase in the number of registered nurses within
the workforce (Hawthorne, 2012). In addition, retaining the nurses within the workforce strategy
was an ideal idea. Training and establishing the education programs enhance the capacity
building among the nurses led to innovations. That has made the workforce manageable though,
more improvement and training is needed in order to increase its capacity.

WORKFORCE PLANNING 10
There is need to address different sectors of the healthcare system. Every sector in the
health care system has different issues that require some attention at the same time. Therefore,
the future status of the nursing workforce is dictated by the demand for health care due to the
increased number of the ageing people within the population. The recent research shows that this
sector has the highest number of nurses. This shows in the near future, the number will increase
and this calls for appropriate measures that will ensure the nursing workforce meet the health
demand of the country's population. If the appropriate measures are not taken, then the country
might get into health care system crisis (Reid,2012).
Geographic distribution of the nursing workforce
There was a variation on the overall supply of nurses and midwives across the state in the
year 2015. But the distribution was well balanced in years later. The number of midwives and
nurses employed in the capital were more than those in the local areas and with more working
hours. The distribution balanced the number of nurses and midwives working in the capital and
in the rural areas. That means the proper health care facility and services could be easily
accessed within the local areas. Though in future it could be a problem since high number of old
people calls for an addition of more nurses within the workforce. The reforms in the nursing
workforce improved the distribution of nurses across the state. Though Some states still need
more nurses in order to meet the population's demand.
The major recommendations in the nursing workforce sustainability report 2014.

WORKFORCE PLANNING 11
The major recommendations given in the nursing workforce sustainability report were
meant for the future development of the workforce. The following recommendations were given.
Workplace capacity building through leadership training programs was an essential tool that
encouraged the nurse managers to be innovative leaders. There was the need for them to be good
in decision making. Retention of nurses, contributes to a stable workforce that met the rapid
demand of the healthcare systems. The reform also created more employment opportunities for
fresh graduate nurses and balanced the nursing workforce supply in rural regions (Gore et al
2017).
Improvement of productivity at the workplace was achieved by opened more rooms for
innovations and rewarding innovators within the nursing workforce. It gave the nurses wide
range rooms for creative thinking. That creativity was rewarded at the end hence motivating
them to work harder. In addition to that, the rewards ensured each nurse plays his or her roles
effectively. Lastly, rewarding the employees' innovation and creativity helped to address the
challenges faced at work and all the barriers that hinder their success at work (Crittenden et al
2014).
References

WORKFORCE PLANNING 12
Hawthorne, L. (2012). Health workforce migration to Australia. Melbourne: Health Workforce Australia
Mason, J. (2013). Review of Australian government health workforce programs.
Crettenden, I. F., McCarty, M. V., Fenech, B. J., Heywood, T., Taitz, M. C., & Tudman, S. (2014). How
evidence-based workforce planning in Australia is informing policy development in the retention
and distribution of the health workforce. Human resources for health, 12(1), 7.
World Health Organization. (2015). Strategic directions for strengthening nursing and midwifery
services 2011-2015.
Mason, J. (2015). Review of Australian Government Health Workforce Programs. 2013. Australian
Government Department of Health: Canberra Google Scholar.
Moodie, A. R., Tolhurst, P., & Martin, J. (2016). Australia’s health: being accountable for
prevention. Med J Aust, 204(6), 223-5.
Gore, J., Australia, C. N., Rickards, B., Fray, L., BTeach, B. H., Holmes, K., ... & BEc, D. (2017).
Profiling Australian school students’ interest in a nursing career: Insights for ensuring the future
workforce. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 35(2), 12-22.
Holland, P. J., Tham, T. L., & Gill, F. J. (2018). What nurses and midwives want: Findings from the
national survey on workplace climate and well‐being. International journal of nursing practice.
Gore, J., Australia, C. N., Rickards, B., Fray, L., BTeach, B. H., Holmes, K., ... & BEc, D. (2017).
Profiling Australian school students’ interest in a nursing career: Insights for ensuring the future
workforce. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 35(2), 12-22.
Gore, J. M. (2017). Reconciling educational research traditions. The Australian Educational Researcher,
44(4-5), 357-372.

WORKFORCE PLANNING 13
Curtis, E., Wikaire, E., Stokes, K., & Reid, P. (2012). Addressing indigenous health workforce
inequities: A literature review exploring'best'practice for recruitment into tertiary health
programmes. International journal for equity in health, 11(1), 13.