Launch of the National Nursing Workforce Strategy
On the 6th August 2026, the first-ever National Nursing Workforce Strategy (Strategy) was launched by the Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Ageing, at the Australian College of Nursing's National Nursing Forum. The strategy sets out a long-term vision to guide governments, employers, education providers and the profession in building a sustainable nursing workforce capable of meeting Australia’s future health needs.
How was it developed?
The Strategy was developed through an extensive collaborative and consultative process that took over 3 years to complete. Consultations were undertaken with chief nursing and midwifery officers, governments, professional organisations, unions, education providers, employers and other stakeholders. CNSA was closely involved in this process, attending workshops, webinars, and focus groups, and writing submissions to public consultations that advocated for the needs of the cancer nursing workforce and provided evidence on the challenges and issues faced by the workforce.
The results of the Nursing Supply and Demand Study were also used to inform the strategy by forecasting nurse supply and demand in Australia over the next 12 years. In addition, an Australian and international literature research review was undertaken, combined with findings from two rounds of consultation to inform the draft Strategy. The research, reports and consultation findings that informed the Strategy can be found here.
CNSA would like to thank everyone involved, including the Minister for Health and Ageing, The Hon. Mark Butler, Commonwealth Chief Nursing and Midwifery Advisor Alison McMillan, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing team, and acknowledge the meaningful consultation with nursing peaks in the development of the Strategy.
Why is it important?
This is an important milestone in strengthening Australia's nursing workforce and supporting a sustainable health system. It provides the first nationally agreed framework for governments and the profession to work together on long-term workforce planning and reform. This is an opportunity for the sector to come together to recognise and address forecast nursing shortages, seize opportunities for the profession and improve access to care for all Australians. Having a national strategic approach to nursing will help to tackle current and future workforce challenges and drive opportunities to meet the health and aged care needs of Australians.
The Strategy aims to improve recruitment and retention, support nurses throughout their careers, strengthen leadership opportunities, and enable the profession to play a greater role in delivering innovative models of care.
What are the four national priorities?
The four priorities outlined in the strategy for the future of nursing include:
- Enhancing workforce planning, education and regulation, including nurses’ mobility and career flexibility
- Enabling nursing innovation, including emerging technologies and nurse-led models of care
- Elevating the nursing profession, including leadership, diversity, inclusion and culturally safe workplaces
- Delivering a sustainable nursing workforce, including transition to practice and national skills and capability.
What does this mean for the future of nursing?
The launch of the Strategy comes at a time when Australia is planning for significant future demand for nursing professionals. Its focus on workforce sustainability, career flexibility, education, mobility and recruitment highlights the importance of building a nursing workforce capable of meeting the country’s future healthcare needs. The Strategy will be implemented through collaboration between governments, employers, education providers, professional organisations and the nursing profession.
This Strategy will support CNSA's ongoing advocacy for the needs of the cancer nursing workforce. We look forward to working with the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) to identify opportunities for CNSA to support activities around the planned implementation that will address the needs of the cancer nursing workforce. We will continue to keep you updated on progress and share insights into our advocacy work.
