ACN Pre-Budget Submission 2025-26
Strategic and significant investment in nurses and nursing will improve healthcare access for all Australians and ensure that government health funding delivers appropriate and affordable care to people when they need it and where they need it.
Nurses and midwives make up 54 per cent of Australia’s health workforce. Nursing is the most geographically dispersed health profession in the country.
The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) Pre-Budget Submission 2025-26 sets out practical and affordable solutions to build the nursing workforce needed to address the care needs of Australia’s growing and ageing population, with more people living with multiple chronic and complex conditions.
ACN CEO, Adjunct Professor Kathryn Zeitz FACN, said that nurses, nurse practitioners, and midwives are uniquely placed to provide safe and quality health care and services across all settings and in all locations – primary care, hospital care, maternity care, aged care, palliative care, and specialised practice such as cancer, mental health, youth health, diabetes, and emergency nursing.
“ACN is proposing achievable initiatives that will attract people to nursing, retain the nurses we have, provide incentives to bring nurses back to the profession, and provide lifelong career pathways for nurses and midwives,” Adjunct Professor Zeitz said.
“Nurses provide care for individuals, families, and communities through all stages of life.
“We want nurses to stay in the nursing profession through all stages of their working life, providing them with rewarding careers that include variety and the opportunity to lead.
“And we want them to stay longer at the end of their careers to be mentors and pass on their wisdom to the next generations of nurses.
“Patients will benefit. Communities will benefit. The health system will benefit.”
Adjunct Professor Zeitz said enabling nurses, nurse practitioners, and midwives to work to their full scope of practice is key to achieving meaningful health reform that improves patient access to the care they need.
“Vulnerable populations – rural and remote, First Nations, the elderly, the disadvantaged, the chronically ill – will benefit most from allowing nurses to fully use their skills, qualifications, and experience.
“The success of nurse-led clinics is proof.
“In many communities, nurses are the most qualified and skilled health professionals. In others, they are the only health professionals.
“Nurses are trusted. Nurses are respected. They can do more. They want to do more.”
The ACN Pre-Budget Submission 2025-26 outlines practical and affordable solutions across five key areas:
- Elevating the Image of Nursing: Showcasing the vital contributions of nurses across the healthcare continuum to address workforce shortages, improve public perception, and build a stronger pipeline of future nurses.
- Strengthening Nurse-Led Models of Care: Enhancing access to nurse-led services through modernised funding models, expanded referral pathways, and scalable solutions that improve healthcare accessibility and alleviate pressure on primary and acute care services.
- Maximising Nursing Workforce Capability: Providing lifelong learning opportunities, standardising recognition of skills through a National Nursing Capability Passport, enhancing digital proficiency, and preparing nurses to deliver care across specialised areas, including aged care and home-based services.
- Enabling the Practice Environment: Creating supportive environments for nurses through initiatives like clinical supervision, transition-to-retirement strategies, and tailored solutions for rural and remote areas, ensuring equitable and sustainable access to quality care.
- Cultivating Nurse Leadership: Developing mentorship frameworks and leadership programs to empower nurses at all levels to drive innovation, improve workforce retention, and deliver exceptional healthcare outcomes.
The ACN Pre-Budget Submission 2025-26 can be found here.
For more information:
John Flannery 0419 494 761
Email: [email protected]
Social media channels:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acnursing
X(Twitter): https://twitter.com/acn_tweet
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/australian-college-of-nursing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acn_nursing