Retention key to solving workforce shortage
New international nurse registration standards to take effect from April will help support Queensland's struggling medical workforce, but it won't address the challenge we face when it comes to retention, AMA Queensland President Dr Nick Yim told 4BC Radio. "While we are bringing staff into our state, I think it's also important to highlight that we do need support for those new staff. That is to support them, mentor them, because we don't want them burning out... we do want to keep them in our state."

Transcript: AMA Queensland President, Dr Nick Yim, 4BC Radio, Breakfast with Peter Fegan, Monday 27 January 2025
Subject: federal government proposal to address workforce shortage
PETER FEGAN: We've learned that nurses from a handful of countries will soon have their qualifications recognised by Australia much faster. This is a really good move. Currently nurses registered in New Zealand, they're accepted, but nurses from other countries have to wait nine to 12 months to be approved. I mean, there's no shock there, we are the red tape capital of the world. But under the new system set to be rolled out in March, it means that nurses from the UK, Ireland and the US, select Canadian provinces, Singapore and Spain will have their qualifications recognised after one to six months. It's a great move by the federal government and will address the shortage of health staff in this country.
On the line now is the President of the Australian Medical Association Queensland Dr Nick Yim. Doctor, thank you very much for your time this morning. I hope you had a great Australia Day weekend.
DR NICK YIM: I did, and good morning to you and all your listeners.
PETER FEGAN: I've got to say, doc, this is a no brainer. But for me, how on God's earth did it take nine to 12 months to have good, qualified nurses to be recognised here in Queensland? It makes no sense to me.
DR NICK YIM: These are some of the challenges and you've highlighted some of the challenges that we do face in Queensland and across Australia. The big workforce shortage that we've been highlighting now for many months with doctors, nurses and [other] healthcare professionals, expedited registration pathways, this is one strategy. As you mentioned, we do need to reduce the bureaucracy and time – for nursing, and this also applies to our doctor’s staff.
PETER FEGAN: It's interesting because look, when I was reading it, nine to 12 months to me, no surprises because there's so much red tape. But you have a look at this new system, one to six months, which to me again still seems like too much. If you're a good nurse, you've done your 1,800 hours and you live in the UK, why can't you just start the day you arrive?
DR NICK YIM: So I think each country… if we backtrack a little bit, in the UK they might have different registration standards, they might accept other nurses from other countries. So I think there does need to be some checks and balances to ensure that the equivalency standards, the assessments, they are in check to ensure that they are equivalent to Australian standards. But I think one big thing is when the workforce does arrive to Australia, one thing that the medical profession is telling us is that they do need support. That's one thing that needs to be mentioned, is support, because there may be cultural differences between Australia and New Zealand, Australian and the UK, Australia and Canada. So I think these are some differences that need to be addressed. At the same time, we are inherently different healthcare systems.
PETER FEGAN: Yes, of course.
DR NICK YIM: So even though the medicine itself is the same, regardless of what country you're in, the health system is different, and that's also a steep learning curve.
PETER FEGAN: Look, I've supported the move by the government. I think it's a good move. But let's be brutally honest here, doc, this is a band aid fix for a much deeper issue and that is – why are we struggling to have good nurses here in this country? We have the best nurses in the world, but for some reason university numbers have dropped off, nurse numbers have dropped off, and we have a shortage. So I think, great that we're getting them from overseas, but are we conceding now, doctor, that we just can't get enough nurses?
DR NICK YIM: That is a great question. Why can't we train, recruit and retain our health workforce in a great country like Australia? And this is to reflect a little bit similar to our medical workforce, because we're having exactly the same issue. What are the reasons we shouldn't be taking other healthcare workforce from around the world? While it is one strategy, it isn't a long-term strategy. As you say it is a band aid fix and this is the reason why from our side, we're thinking from a Workforce [Working Group] from AMA Queensland. We've got brains trust from general practice, public hospital, private hospital, from training and also medical students to look at the whole pathway, to look at moving forward so we can give strategies to government to think of immediately, and also moving through to the future.
PETER FEGAN: What does an entry level nurse get paid? Do we know is there a standard salary?
DR NICK YIM: I'm not too sure off the top of my head, that's probably something worth to ask my nursing colleagues. But obviously it ranges across the country, it depends whether you're in a public and private sector as well, but there are different variabilities. We know that income plays a big role because we are in a big cost of living crisis. So, many people are looking at their professions – what do they want to train in?
PETER FEGAN: If there's any nurses listening, you can do it anonymously. Just give us a call or text 0499 8882 or 133 882 is that open line number, and just let us know what an entry level nurse gets paid. And any nurses listening this morning that want to give me a little insight into why we think that nurses are dropping off and why we think that what was once, I would say the premier practice here in this country, is really is declining. I'd love to know.
Doctor, here's another one. I think what really annoys nurses would perhaps, sticking with salary, is militant unions that are demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars for entry level workers. That's being the CFMEU. You see even in instances where police and emergency services get pay rises over the top of nurses, which I'm not taking away from, I think our emergency services deserve it. But at the end of the day, don't you think nurses should be recognised, and doctors should be recognised alongside emergency services workers and be eligible for the same pay rises and pay hikes that they get?
DR NICK YIM: You're spot on from that perspective. Nursing, they play such an important role in our community. They support the patients in times of need, and I know many of my nursing colleagues, they’re often doing overtime shifts, back to back because of the workforce shortage. This is something that comes down to that collaboration and engagement of the healthcare sector with government. It's trying to ensure that from a Queensland perspective, we are competitive against other states and also against other countries around the world.
PETER FEGAN: It's interesting because you often see nurses, we've been told that or declared that they're on the front line. And I agree that nurses are on the front line, but all of a sudden it’s like they're not being recognised when we start to get pay increases alongside other unions. For me, I think that may be it, but I'm not too sure. We should investigate it further to figure it out. But look, this is a good move. Now just share some context with us if you can doctor about just how short some of our hospitals here in Queensland are when it comes to nurses.
DR NICK YIM: It's similar numbers to say, doctors. Obviously, a lot of the public hospitals, they do work on important ratios. These ratios are important to ensure that the individual working staff, the nurses, they're not burning out and not fatigued to ensure that they are delivering great care to their individual patients. That's what we're hearing, is because of challenges of burnout across the whole workforce sector. People potentially might be moving to different locations, but this is something that we are working on. It's something that's really important because our doctors, for example, they're having their own shortage, and we've heard about the unfortunate situation in New South Wales with their psychiatrists. These are the types of things that we need to ensure doesn't get replicated in Queensland, which is the reason why it's so important that we continue to work with government to ensure that we keep and train our staff.
PETER FEGAN: It's 7:45am, my guest this morning is the President of the Australian Medical Association here in Queensland, Dr Nick Yim. If you missed it, there's some good news for our hospitals and our medical institutions, because currently for nurses from around the world, it takes about nine to 12 months to be recognised. But that's all about to change. Doc, when are we going to see this initiative starting to come into fruition?
DR NICK YIM: I hope to see many of these initiatives come in immediately. But I think the key thing is, while we are bringing staff into our state, I think it's also important to highlight that we do need support for those new staff. That is to support them, mentor them, because we don't want them burning out. At the same time, we do want to keep them in our state.
PETER FEGAN: Good on you doc. Always great to have a chat and we'll be in touch.
DR NICK YIM: Thanks, Peter. Have a great day.
PETER FEGAN: There he is, Dr Nick Yim. He's the AMA Queensland President. He does a fantastic job. AMA Queensland is an integral part of our health system here and they do a fantastic job. But again, I want to raise that point, this is a band aid move by the federal government. Although I'm backing it, it is great that we can cut the red tape and have some really good nurses here from overseas, but I think the focus needs to be from the federal government on how we can recruit more nurses from this country. As I said, it used to be recognised as one of the great trades here in Australia. But now for some reason, nurse numbers are dropping off. I'd love to know why.
Contact: AMA Queensland Media, +61 419 735 641, media@amaq.com.a