Internationally qualified nurses to be fast-tracked to work in Australia

From March, nurses who have worked a minimum number of hours in comparable countries can be fast-tracked to work in Australia. Photo: NSW Health.

The Federal Government has announced new measures to make it easier for internationally trained nurses to work in Australia.

From March this year, the government will reduce what it calls “needless red tape” that has seen some nurses’ plans to work in Australia delayed by up to 12 months.

The changes stem from the Final Report of the Independent Review of Health Practitioner Regulatory Settings, authored by Ms Robyn Kruk AO and handed down in December 2023, from which $90 million was allocated to implement the reforms in the 2024-25 Budget.

“Australia is facing a shortage of key healthcare practitioners, putting the health system and existing workforce under pressure,” the report’s executive summary reads.

“In the short to medium term, Australia needs more skilled health practitioners – including from overseas – to ensure Australians can access high-quality, timely and appropriate care.

“Workforce shortages contribute to reduced access to care, increased workloads for health practitioners, overuse of higher cost services (such as locums and emergency care) and poorer patient outcomes.”

Recommendations from the review were grouped into five broad reform areas: improve the applicant experience; expand fast-track registration pathways; improve workforce data and planning; increase flexibility, while ensuring safety and quality of care; and enhance regulator performance and stewardship.

Expanding fast-track registration pathways covers the move to streamline the application process for overseas-trained nurses.

Health Minister Mark Butler said 70 per cent of the nurses in the past two years came to Australia from or via New Zealand while a further 16 per cent had worked in countries such as Canada, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, the UK and the US.

The government said nurses with relevant qualifications and experience in these comparable countries would no longer need to sit additional examinations or upgrade qualifications in order to gain registration. This would apply to internationally qualified registered nurses who had practised for at least 1800 hours since 2017.

This will ensure all internationally qualified registered nurses meet the same regulatory requirements as Australian-trained nurses when applying for registration.

The government said the reform was a collaborative effort between the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and all Australian governments to address the workforce shortages while maintaining healthcare safety and quality standards.

Mr Butler said nurses with experience from countries such as the UK, Canada and Ireland had been left waiting too long before they could work in Australia.

“Australian patients will ultimately benefit from these changes, since these highly educated nurses can start working and providing care to Australians sooner, without waiting needlessly on red tape.”

Assistant Minister Ged Kearney said: “As a former nurse, I know all too well that Australia’s healthcare system is powered by the sweat, hearts and expertise of nurses.

“Streamlining the application process for the thousands of highly experienced nurses from comparable countries overseas will go a long way to ensuring Australians can get the best quality care, soonest.

“Combined with the many scholarships, placements and other programs the Albanese Labor Government provides to support our homegrown nurses, this will improve the availability of nurses in health settings around the country.”