NSW needs nurses as 'catastrophic' shortage predicted to affect patient care

New South Wales is on the cusp of a nursing crisis, with south-west Sydney set to face a "catastrophic" shortage of staff, according to official data. Alarming figures predict that the state's pool of about 70,000 full-time staff will soon be unable to meet patient demand. And over the next decade, the shortfall will only intensify. By 2030, the modelling suggests while 82,000 full-time registered nurses and midwives will be needed, only 74,000 will be available a gap of 8,000 workers. For hospitals and aged-care centres who rely on enrolled nurses the less-qualified workers who provide vital one-on-one care the situation looks particularly dire, according to documents released through a long-running Freedom of Information (FOI) application.

Source: Pixabay