A new national survey has found that the skills and experience of one third of all primary health care (PHC) nurses were going to waste, despite the ongoing nursing shortage. 

In the survey, conducted by the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA), 32% of PHC nurses said their skills were not being utilised often or most of the time. 

The survey also found that more than half (53%) of underutilised nurses had requested to use more skills or experience, but only 39% were successful in negotiating a change. 

APNA President Karen Booth said the underutilisation of PHC nurses was a “missed opportunity” for the Australian health system, patients, and employers. 

“Australia’s health system can’t afford to have highly skilled, experienced and motivated PHC nurses sitting underutilised when there is so much more they could be doing,” Ms Booth said. 

“Nurses can provide a wide range of services, including cardiovascular education, vaccinations, wound care, and preventative health approaches such as primary health care screening and advising people on self-care to keep them well.” 

Ms Booth said the underutilisation of PHC nurses was due to a number of factors, including outdated Medicare billing protocols, a lack of funding for multidisciplinary care, and a lack of recognition of the role of nurses in primary health care. 

The APNA survey also found that the most common reasons for underutilisation of PHC nurses were the lack of funding for multidisciplinary care, outdated Medicare billing protocols, and the lack of recognition of the role nurses played in primary health.  

The APNA survey is a national survey focused on nurses who work in primary health care. It has been conducted every year since 2008.