Over recent years, nurses, midwives and care workers have helped drive significant reforms made to healthcare and the professions they work in. This has included advances in gender equity; industrial relations reforms including wage increases through the Aged Care Work Value Case, stronger delegate rights; and long-awaited improvements in aged care with 24/7 registered nurse coverage and mandated care minutes.
Meanwhile there has been health reform that has expanded scope of practice for endorsed midwives and nurse practitioners while most recently RN prescribing standard has been introduced.
While these reforms mark real progress, their full impact is yet to be fully realised by those working on the ground. For example, some aged care providers are still failing to pass on the full wage increases to staff, even though they are funded by taxpayers to do so.
The ANMF remains focused on ensuring every reform translates into meaningful, tangible improvements for nurses, midwives, care workers, and the communities they serve. In 2026, our mission is clear: enforceable standards, fair pay, safer workplaces, and health centred policies that deliver genuine change on the floor, not just promises on paper.
Australia continues to face critical staffing shortages that compromise patient outcomes, staff wellbeing, and the sustainability of health services. The ANMF remains committed to strategies that strengthen recruitment, reduce undergraduate attrition, and improve workforce retention.
Retention is the most pressing driver of the crisis: sustainable workloads are essential to keeping nurses and midwives in the profession. Without enforceable minimum staffing levels, disparities persist not only between states and territories but also between metropolitan and regional facilities.
In 2026, the ANMF is calling on the federal government to mandate national minimum staffing levels across all healthcare settings. These must account for patient acuity, skill mix, and fluctuating demand, and be embedded into the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. Embedding staffing requirements into the NSQHS Standards would promote equity, improve patient care, and provide the workforce with clear, enforceable protections.
The ANMF will also continue to advocate nationally for safer workplaces, addressing the unacceptably high levels of occupational violence that drive nurses and midwives out of the profession.
With the continuing workforce crisis, every avenue must also be explored to support the education and growth of the nursing and midwifery workforce. Students face significant financial and time burdens during clinical placements, particularly mature-age and female students.
After years of lobbying, the ANMF welcomed the federal government’s introduction of the Commonwealth Prac Payment in July 2025. While the means-tested payment provides some relief, the ANMF will campaign to expand eligibility so more students can access support. The union will also push to end placement poverty and financial hardship caused by mandatory placements, and advocate for a freeze on higher education fees for nurses and midwives.
NSW registered midwife Emma Gedge said the Commonwealth Prac Payment has been a game-changer. “It’s a great first step, but it needs to be lifted above the minimum wage and made available to more people. The eligibility criteria cuts out too many who could benefit. I’ve seen firsthand people who’ve had to abandon their training because they couldn’t afford to be on clinical placement.”
The ANMF is keenly awaiting government responses on key workforce reforms. The National Nursing Workforce Strategy provides a coordinated approach to workforce planning, while the Maternity Futures Report, commissioned by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), makes vital recommendations for scaling up midwifery models of care.
In addition, the ANMF will work with stakeholders to ensure adoption of key recommendations from the national Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce scope of practice review, which will enable nurses and midwives to work to their full potential – which evidence demonstrates improves community health outcomes.
