It has been seven years since the first nurse practitioner was authorised to practice in Australia.

This significant event occurred in Wanaaring in NSW and since that time numbers have slowly risen to 300 nationally.
The executive director of ARNM, Dr Marg McLeod, said despite the increasing number of authorised nurse practitioners, and midwife practitioners (MP), at least a third of these nurses have been unable to find work in their specialised field because positions have not been created for them.

"As a consequence highly skilled and qualified nurse practitioners are prevented from working to their full scope of practice.

"ARNM urges the Government to immediately create positions for nurses and midwives who already hold nurse or midwifery practitioner qualifications,'' Dr McLeod said.

She appealed to State and Territory Governments to fully utilise all the existing authorised nurse practitioners and to establish additional positions when the new wave $15,000 scholarship recipients are also ready for the challenge of advanced practice.

"These clinicians currently have the capacity to work in extended clinical service roles and this could be of great advantage to rural communities," said ARNM President Dr Jane Mills.

"It is vital for the health and wellbeing of individuals who live in rural communities that they have access to the very best care Australia can offer."

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