The industrial and professional organisation for nurses and midwives in Australia
Canberra Office (Professional Services)
Unit 3, 28 Eyre Street Kingston ACT 2604
Australia
PO Box 4239 Kingston ACT 2604 Australia
+ 61 2 6232 6533 (T) + 61 2 6232 6610 (F)
anfcanberra@anf.org.au
Melbourne Office (Industrial Services)
Level 1, 365 Queen Street Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
+ 61 3 9602 8500 (T) + 61 3 9602 8567 (F)
industrial@anf.org.au
anfmelbourne@anf.org.au
ANF Journals
Australian Nursing Journal
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing
anj@anf.org.au ajan@anf.org.au
ABN 41 816 898 298
media release
Rural aged care nurses deserve to be paid a fair wage
13 January 2010
The Australian Nursing Federation is calling on the federal government to protect
rural aged care nurses who are often underpaid and over worked.
ANF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney said the aged care nursing workforce is
comprised largely of women who are paid much less than their counterparts in other
health sectors.
“We are urging the Federal Government to address the workforce issues that
threaten to undermine the future of the aged care sector in Australia, particularly in
the bush.
“There is currently a massive pay gap of about $15,000 per year between aged care
nursing staff and their colleagues in the public health system,
“This pay equity issue is causing an exodus of registered and enrolled nurses from
rural aged care facilities. This is a great shame for the nurses who love their work
and the older Australians who depend on them.”
“Rural aged care facilities cannot afford to lose any more nurses or personal carers.
It is vital enough nurses are retained to help residents manage what are often very
complex chronic disease and health care requirements.
“We also need to lift skill levels across the board, from nurses to personal carers by
ensuring there is a minimum qualification requirement and a well structured career
path for nurses and personal carers.
“We need to increase pay if we want to attract more people into the industry while
holding onto the excellent staff we already have.
“And finally, we need make sure that any extra funding from the Federal
Government flows through to aged care staff so they can deliver the best care
possible - that means proper acquittal processes for aged care funding,” Ms
Kearney said.
Media Contacts
Eleni Hale, Media and Communications (03) 9602 8522 / 0402337388
Ged Kearney, ANF Federal Secretary, 0417 053 322
Lee Thomas, ANF Assistant Federal Secretary, 0419 576 590
NEWS 
