Foreword

Nurses play a vital role in providing quality patient care in public hospitals.

A national review of the nursing workforce predicts the demand for nurses will increase by over two per cent a year due to expected increases in hospital admissions. With many nurses nearing retirement, a national shortage of up to 40,000 nurses is predicted by 2010.

The NSW Department of Health is responsible for managing nurse supply. It needs to identify the extent and nature of shortages and develop ways to attract, retain and best manage nurses working in public hospitals.

This audit looks at how nurses are managed in four of our public hospitals and examines how the Department has responded to expected nurse shortages.

It also highlights actions that have helped reduce the number of nurses leaving hospitals. These may be of interest to others.

 Peter Achterstraat
Auditor-General

December 2006