Western Australia is facing a nurse brain drain as experienced nurses resign and new graduates struggle to find work, despite the government's claim of a massive recruitment drive. The Australian Nurses Federation (ANF) has described the shortage as 'severe' in a letter to WA Health Minister Roger Cook, urging the government to outline plans to fill staffing gaps.
Tiffany Riley, a Murdoch University nursing graduate from 2018, moved interstate after failing to secure a graduate program in WA hospitals. She said the government should fund more graduate positions and relax rules on overseas qualifications. Rebekah Isaacs, a nursing student at Edith Cowan University, faces delayed graduation due to a lack of placement hours and high competition for graduate jobs.
Overseas-trained nurse Cornelia Lulic, who worked in Switzerland, wants to work in Perth but finds the pathway to qualification difficult. She said a former bridging course has ceased, and re-enrolling in a four-year degree is unattractive given her experience. The WA government has promised to recruit 1,000 nurses this year and next, but critics say more investment in training and graduate positions is needed.
