Graduate Careers

Career options for nursing graduates
Specialisation
Employment outcomes
Employment prospects and outlook
Skills shortages
Salaries
Find out more

Career options for nursing graduates

The range of career pathways and job settings available to today’s nursing graduates is among the most diverse of any occupation. Nurses may choose from a great variety of career pathways, specialisations, and work settings. They also have the flexibility to alter their specific pathway and pursue different career options as their interests change and develop.

In hospitals nurses have the option of working within a range of varied settings from aged care, emergency, and infection control to intensive care, midwifery, pathology or rehabilitation, just to name a few. Options within the wider community include community mental health, correctional facilities, district nursing, education, general practice and government policy, among others.

In many settings, but particularly in hospitals, nurses work closely with a range of other health professionals in teams dedicated to providing the best possible service to patients.

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Specialisation

The nursing profession also holds great opportunities for career development and specialisation through further study. In partnership with hospitals and health services a great number of Australian colleges and universities offer courses in specialist nursing areas. Graduate certificates or diplomas in a wide range of areas allow nurses to specialise as:

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Employment outcomes

According to the 2008 edition of The Good Universities Guide, 79% of 2006 nursing graduates found employment in the public sector, 20% in private industry, and a further 1% chose to pursue career opportunities overseas.

More specifically, the Australian Government Job Search website reports that registered nurses work predominantly in the following industries: health and community services, 95.5%; property and business services, 2.1%; and industry, government administration and defence, 0.9%.

Employment prospects and outlook

Employment prospects for nurses in Australia are really positive, with nursing graduates experiencing among the best employment rates of any discipline. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations’ Australian jobs 2007 reports that job prospects for nurses are currently good, and that unemployment is below average. Future jobs growth to 2011–12 is expected to be moderate.

In particular, prospects for registered nurses, registered midwives, and registered mental health nurses are especially strong.

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Skills shortages

Part of the reason for the favourable employment prospects for nurses is the fact that the profession is currently suffering marked skills shortages across a great many specialisations throughout the country. So serious are the shortages that nursing professions (registered mental health nurse, registered midwife, and registered nurse) are now listed on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s Migration occupations in demand list.

Across Australia shortages of practising nurses may be more pronounced in rural and remote areas.

Salaries

Nursing graduates can expect competitive salaries that compare well to salaries within other professions. According to The Good Universities Guide 2008, nursing graduates in 2006 earned an average of $39,403.

Specific salaries for nurses depend on both the level of experience and the state or territory in which the nurse practises. In addition to their standard salary, nurses may also be eligible for shift and weekend work allowances.

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Find out more

Australian Nursing Federation (ANF), www.anf.org.au
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC), www.anmc.org.au
Australian Rural Nurses and Midwives (ARNM), www.arnm.asn.au
National Nursing Organisations (NNO), www.anf.org.au/nno
Royal College of Nursing Australia (RCNA), www.rcna.org.au
The College of Nursing, www.nursing.aust.edu.au

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