The AMA wants the government cash incentive scheme designed to lure nurses back into the workforce to be extended to include nurses who want to work in general practice.
It was reported this week (The Australian, 27 August 2009) that the Federal Government’s program to bring nurses back into the workforce was failing to meet targets, with only 541 nurses recruited.
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said nearly $40 million over five years in funding had been set aside for the Bringing Nurses Back Into The Workforce program and it was vital that the money was used effectively.
“The Government’s initiative is too restrictive because it only targets public hospitals, private hospitals and aged care facilities,” Dr Pesce said.
“The Bringing Nurses Back Into The Workforce program ignores the important contribution that nurses can make in other parts of the health sector such as general practice.
“The program’s guidelines should be relaxed so that nurses who want to return to the workforce to take up a position in general practice will be eligible for funding.”
Around 60 per cent of general practices employ practice nurses who work collaboratively with doctors.
“General practice can offer nurses a very rewarding career and a great work/life balance,” Dr Pesce said.
“Getting more nurses into general practice supports multidisciplinary care and will free up GPs to see more patients.”
The AMA also believes general practices should be better supported to employ practice nurses by making practice nurse grants available to all general practices and ensuring that the Medicare Benefits Schedule recognises the full scope of patient care that GP practice nurses can provide.
All the latest NEWS from Perth 
Premier says WA needs skilled Chinese workers
Posted in Immigration News, tagged 2011, activity, allowances, Ansteel, Australian labour, Chevron's Gorgon LNG project, chinese, Chinese steel maker, Chinese workers, CITIC Pacific's Sino, Colin Barnett, conference in Perth, contemplates, deep water port, developing, expected, federal government, foreign, foreign worker, in 2011, include, iron, Iron project., labour shortages, major, massive, media, mill, Mr Barnett, natural gas, new, Oakajee, peak, perth, planned, Pluto Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, port, Premier, PREMIER Colin Barnett, Premier says, premier's comments, prevent, project, projects, relax, Resources, sector, severe, skill shortages, skilled, skilled worker, skilled workers, skills shortages, State, steel, trades, trades areas., viability, WA, WA needs, WA projects, WA's, WA's first steel mill., Woodside Petroleum Ltd's, work, Workers, yesterday on July 28, 2009| Leave a Comment »
PREMIER Colin Barnett may ask the Federal Government to relax foreign worker allowances to prevent labour shortages at major WA projects.
WA faces severe shortages of skilled workers in 2011, when there is expected to be peak activity in WA’s resources sector, Mr Barnett told a media conference in Perth yesterday.
The premier’s comments come as a large Chinese steel maker, Ansteel, contemplates the viability of developing WA’s first steel mill.
Other massive projects planned for the state include Woodside Petroleum Ltd’s Pluto Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, Chevron’s Gorgon LNG project, a new deep water port at Oakajee and CITIC Pacific’s Sino Iron project.
“I expect we will face serious skills shortages if these projects go together at the same time,” Mr Barnett said.
“Hopefully, we can build these projects with Australian labour but I expect there will be skill shortages, in particular trades areas.
“We need to be prepared to bring in some of their (Chinese) workers.”
Source : www.news.com.au
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