Best Cities to Work in as a Nurse in Australia
The cities with the most jobs for nurses are Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Perth is also good if you want to be close to nature: it's one of Australia's most beautiful cities! Suppose you're willing to travel further out into Western Australia.
Depending on how you enter the healthcare industry, the cost of living may be on par with your salary, however, the good news is that Registered Nurses and above can expect to live relatively comfortably anywhere in Australia.
Outpatient case managers and office nurses are some of the best jobs in nursing based on happiness, according to Nursing Process.
The most stressful nursing jobs include ICU nurse, ER nurse, and NICU nurse. In these roles, nurses work in an intense environment with high stakes. They manage emergency situations and care for critically ill patients. Other stressful nursing jobs include OR nursing, oncology nursing, and psychiatric nursing.
It's a regulated profession with an average graduate annual salary over $70,000. Data from 2021 indicates that the nursing profession grew by 19% between 2016 and 2021, and Labour Market insights suggest great career diversity for nursing and positive future industry growth.
The average salary for Registered Nurse is A$3,178 per month in the Sydney, Australia. The average additional cash compensation for a Registered Nurse in the Sydney, Australia is A$3,140, with a range from A$280 - A$6,000.
Being a home health nurse can be an easier job because you are only dealing with one patient at a time. Home health nurses work with patients and family members to coordinate post-acute care outside the hospital or healthcare facility.
The state of California will face the highest nursing shortage by 2030, according to national reports, with 44,500 RNs needed. The projected demand for 387,900 professionals will not get covered by the 343,400 nurses estimated to be on the market by then.
The average registered nurse salary in Australia is around $79,550 per year (about $41,00 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $76,063 per year up to $97,568 per year.
Based on average salaries for jobs that require postgraduate education, Master of Nursing graduates in Australia typically earn between $84,331 and $128,319 per year. This salary range reflects the advanced skills and expertise associated with such degrees.
Is there an age limit to work in Australia as a nurse? While there is no age limit to work as a nurse in Australia or to apply for AHPRA registration. Different Australian visa's do have different age limit requirements. Some countries are eligible to apply for a working holiday visa up to the age of 35!
Nurses and midwives are some of the worst affected, taking a real pay cut of almost $3000. According to the report: “A first-year nurse working for NSW Health in 2022 earned an annual wage of $76,403.60. When adjusted to 2022 dollars, that same first-year nurse working in 2012 earned $79,184.68.
Australia's work week consist of 38 hours. However, most midwives and nurses work a total of 33 hours on average. Keep in mind that most nurses will work an average of 38 hours but overtime opportunities abound. When a nurse first starts off their career they can work up to 12 hour shifts for three days in a row.
Critical care nurses suffer the highest rates of burnout.
More specifically, a whopping 81% of crucial care nurses experience symptoms of burnout. This is mainly due to the nature of the job, as critical care nurses work specialize in the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU).
Frequently topping the list of the least stressful nursing jobs are that of nurse educators. Nurse educators are RNs who hold an advanced education degree; however, it is not required in all instances. Typically nurse educators teach in universities but may also work in trade schools and community colleges.
One of the easiest nursing jobs to get into is in the field of occupational health. Occupational health nurses work in large industries, HMOs, and factories to treat work-related injuries and onsite illnesses. This type of nurse is employed to keep the workers on the job.