950 Additional Nurses to Be Recruited as NSW Expands Safe Staffing Levels 

New South Wales is moving ahead with the next stage of its Safe Staffing Levels program, with recruitment commencing for 950 additional nurses across the state’s public hospitals. The expansion will extend minimum nurse staffing requirements to more hospital wards, covering both general and specialty clinical areas. 

The latest expansion will cover more than 360 wards across 70 hospitals in NSW. The participating hospitals include facilities across metropolitan, regional and rural areas, making the recruitment part of a statewide workforce expansion rather than a change limited to major city hospitals. 

Under the Safe Staffing Levels framework, participating wards will have a minimum staffing level of one nurse for every four patients during morning and afternoon shifts. The measure establishes a minimum number of nurses on relevant wards and provides additional staffing support for existing teams. 

The Safe Staffing Levels program has already been introduced across NSW emergency departments, with the latest expansion now extending the model into general and specialty wards. More than 990 nurses have already been recruited across 81 emergency departments, according to NSW Health. 

The rollout will apply across all 15 NSW Local Health Districts, with medical, surgical and palliative care wards included in the latest phase. NSW Health has also confirmed that planning is underway to introduce Safe Staffing Levels across seven dedicated postnatal wards, extending the program to additional areas of public maternity care. 

For nurses considering employment in NSW, the expansion provides an indication of continued recruitment within the state’s public health system. However, the announcement does not state that the 950 positions are specifically reserved for internationally qualified nurses. Overseas nurses interested in NSW employment will need to meet the registration and individual job requirements specified by NSW Health for each position. 

The recruitment forms part of a wider expansion of the NSW public health workforce. The NSW Government says more than 6,700 nurses and midwives have been recruited since March 2023, alongside recruitment across other health professions. 

With Safe Staffing Levels now extending to more than 360 general and specialty wards, NSW is continuing to expand the number of nurses supporting its public hospitals. Nurses interested in working in the state can monitor NSW Health recruitment announcements as positions under the expanded staffing program are progressively advertised. 
 

Source 

https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/950-nurses-being-recruited?