It takes a special kind of person to become a nurse. They need to be driven in their pursuit of providing care to others because it's often a very difficult and unforgiving job.
Of course, providing this help can also be very rewarding and many nurses love the job they do. However, many nurses are also very unhappy with the conditions they're being asked to work in.
It can be quite confusing so if you're thinking about becoming a nurse, let's see what it's like being one in Australia and also the type of person you need to be to make this challenging-yet-rewarding career work for you.
Is Australia a Good Place for Nurses?
In many respects, Australia is an excellent place to become a nurse. The average salary for newly-graduated nurses is $70,000 and the average salary for nurses, in general, is closer to $80,000 a year.
The most experienced and specialised nurses can command salaries closer to $100,000 a year so financially speaking, Australia is an excellent place for nurses.
The nursing profession is also growing a lot so there's a future for those who want to work as nurses. Between 2016 and 2021, the growth was around 19%.
We can't get carried away, though. Nursing isn't without its problems and like many other healthcare systems around the world, nurses are struggling with burnout and have been so overworked and underappreciated that many are leaving the profession altogether.
These problems predate the pandemic, but that obviously didn't do anything to help and these problems with retention in nursing have only exacerbated the understaffing issue that was already prevalent in the field.
What Are the Benefits of Being a Nurse in Australia?
As stated, one of the main benefits of being a nurse in Australia is the salary. Another perk is the working hours with nurses working an average of 33 hours per week. Unfortunately, while the working hours do appear to be below average, shift work is common and so is overtime so you may have to take that statistic with a pinch of salt. On the other hand, shift rotation does allow for more flexibility and allows nurses to escape the monotony of working 9 til 5.
Some benefits aren't as tangible. Nurses get to enjoy better relationships with their patients and enjoy more one-on-one time with patients than doctors.
The progression opportunities are also great and nurses can specialise and move into fields that interest them. This also means that there are opportunities for curious people to continue learning long after they've gained their nursing qualifications.
Job security is also a huge benefit. The profession is growing so as long as there's a need for nurses, working as a nurse will be a secure job.
Is Nursing Still in Demand in Australia?
Nursing is still in demand in Australia because there's a shortage of nurses. In fact, the nursing shortage is one of the greatest issues facing nursing in Australia and the contributing factors are certainly worth noting because they're the very things that could put you off from becoming a nurse in the first place.
To greatly oversimplify why there's a nursing shortage: too many nurses are leaving the profession and too few new nurses are joining it. The reasons behind this, though, are very interesting and worth taking notice of.
Firstly, Australia has an ageing population. This means that the number of nursing arriving at retirement is increasing but it also means that more people require a greater amount of medical care. The workload required of nurses is increasing while the number of them decreases.
Secondly, the number of people replacing them is also lower. Both the number of newly graduated nurses and foreign nurses migrating to Australia are down.
Finally, there's also a good number of nurses leaving the profession before retirement citing issues such as burnout, working conditions, unrepresentative pay, and bullying, all issues that will likely get worse as more is asked of fewer nurses.
Basically, nursing is in very high demand, but there are also a good number of reasons to be wary of when you're thinking about it.
Is It Hard to Get a Job as a Nurse in Australia?
Finding work as a nurse doesn't tend to be difficult because of the high demand for qualified nurses. However, you do have to be a qualified nurse, which is probably the more difficult part of finding work as a nurse.
To become a registered nurse (RN) in Australia, you need to complete a Bachelor of Nursing degree and then apply to become an RN with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
You can complete your studies in 3 years normally or 2 years via a fast-track degree. This does mean that you can't become a nurse tomorrow, but once you have your qualifications, finding vacancies and securing jobs is relatively simple.
Which Are the Best Kinds of Nurse Jobs in Australia?
As there are many different types of nursing jobs out there, specialisation can help you to increase your chances of finding work.
Some of the best nursing positions include neonatal intensive care nurses, mental health nurses, certified registered nurse anaesthetists, pediatrics nurses, and pain management nurses.
Beyond in-demand specialisations, there are also excellently paid roles in education and management, positions which are very popular both for their salary and also for having better working conditions than bedside roles.
Are Nurses Respected in Australia?
Nurses are in demand and they're generally quite well-paid relative to their education, but are they respected?
In many senses, they are. A lot of people (ourselves included) greatly appreciate the jobs that nurses do and value their contribution to healthcare. In Australia, nurses are regularly chosen as the most trustworthy profession.
Nurses have been top of Roy Morgan's Image of Professions Survey every year since its inception nearly a quarter of a century ago! Australians trust and respect nurses, at least when asked about them.
As you've seen, though, respect like this is very cheap and when it comes to the respect that really matters, there are systemic issues in nursing that have left many nurses feeling that they aren't respected.
The majority of nurses have thought about quitting their jobs because of working conditions, stress, exhaustion, or burnout. What's more shocking is that these were already issues before the pandemic and essential workers (including nurses) were all then expected to do even more.
How Do You Know If You're Meant to Be a Nurse?
Hopefully, we haven't scared you out of becoming a nurse by now, but it's really important not to romanticise the nursing profession, especially if you're considering becoming one.
If you want to become a nurse, you'll have to be so passionate about becoming a nurse that everything we just mentioned won't put you off.
Nurses want to make a difference in their community by working with people through both healthcare and the way they deal with people. Nurses have so much one-on-one time with their patients that you need to be an excellent communicator as well as an excellent caregiver.
How Do You Know If You Can Handle Nursing?
Nobody can truly know if they can handle becoming a nurse, but it can help to remember that becoming a nurse is stressful, difficult, exhausting, but also hugely rewarding.
You can't just dismiss any of the downsides to nursing, but you also can't let them stop you from becoming a nurse if that's really what you want to do.
Every profession has its downside and most people, especially when deciding what they want to study, can ignore all the negatives and look at a profession through rose-tinted glasses.
Only you really know deep down if you've got the resilience, the skills, and the patience to handle nursing once you've seen what nursing is really like.
Don't forget, though, that there are plenty of different types of nursing jobs so even if a given role isn't right for you, there are always other roles in nursing that you could look to move into, especially given how bad the nursing shortage is.
When Should You Give Up on Nursing?
If you get into nursing and you feel it isn't right for you or that you genuinely aren't happy with it, then it might be time to leave.
You won't be the first nurse to leave the profession and you certainly won't be the last. Once your job starts affecting your physical or mental health, then it might be time to leave.
As a nurse, you'll understand better than most just how important your health is so don't sacrifice your own!
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
