The healthcare job market in Australia is expected to brighten for nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals in 2015, according to recruiters, reports Nursing Careers Allied Health. 

Recruitment firms forecast steady employment growth across the health sector next year, as new hospitals in several states open their doors; while community care for the elderly is expected to expand nationally, as the Commonwealth invests in consumer-directed care.

Nurses with specialist skills in theatre, mental health, and palliative care are in demand; while employment opportunities for allied health and nursing graduates are also predicted to rise next year as employers build on their future talent.

Skilled and experienced nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals willing to commit to a change of scenery will find ample employment opportunities in regional and remote locations. Physiotherapists, podiatrists, occupational therapists and dieticians are also in demand, particularly in regional and remote locations in the aged care sector.

Mark de Vink, Regional Director for Hays Healthcare said the new year is expected to usher in a more positive health sector employment market: “We continue to see an increased level of demand for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals within the growing aged care sector, which is putting additional strain on other health sectors and remote locations. An example of this is in the Northern Territory where we have seen a spike in demand for midwives.”

Mr de Vink said recruiters and employers continue to face difficulties attracting nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals to regional and remote areas, where there’s a real demand for their skills: “Finding candidates who can provide consistency of service continues to be a struggle for employers and recruiters. Despite changes to staffing structures within the public sector in Tasmania, experienced registered nurses are in demand for aged care in north Tasmania and there has been an increase in demand for theatre nurses in the North West.”

Mr de Vink said there’s also a rise in demand for a range of health care professionals, including those with specialist mental health skills, in remote mining areas: “Candidates prepared to relocate can often command higher than average salaries.”

A sentiment with which Jamie Walsh, Recruitment Manager for Medacs Healthcare Australia, agrees: “Substantial career development opportunities are available for those who choose to spend a little amount of time in the country, while chances for personal growth are manifold. For those who wish to spend some time travelling, it is possible to combine a backpacking style tour with locum work, moving between available roles in each region.”

“From a career development perspective, there are also numerous advantages to “locuming” in regional areas, where locums are more likely to encounter a wider variety and more diverse caseloads, and are ultimately better placed to put their training into practice.”

Mr Walsh said employment hotspots exist for nurses in regional Western Australia, right across the Northern Territory and also in Sydney: “From a specialty point of view obviously midwives are needed in every state, theatre nurses are in very high demand and experienced emergency nurses are always welcomed, especially in regional sites.”

Mr Walsh explained that changes to the Medicare bulk billing system have also resulted in more jobs for medical imaging staff: “Medical imaging practices and hospitals have been given the opportunity to arrange for Medicare to pay for MRI and CT scans for patients without private healthcare insurance - individuals previously have had to pay for such treatments themselves, thus increasing the demand for scans and likewise the demand for trained staff.”