Registered Nurse: What is the cost of hiring?
2025-11-0117.2551.99200.00HOURLY
Registered Nurse: What is the cost of hiring?
As of April 2022, the average number of jobseekers per registered nurse job in Australia is 8.3.
a registered nurse: What is the cost of hiring?
As of April 2022, the average number of jobseekers per registered nurse job in Australia is 8.3.
Why hire a registered nurse?
Nurses are the largest group of healthcare professionals, and the backbone of all healthcare systems. In Australia, registered nurses are licensed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). From patient care and care planning to patient advocacy, education and liaising with families, registered nurses perform a variety of roles and could be an invaluable resource in your healthcare team.
Contributions of a great registered nurse:
- Address patient concerns, administer medicines and develop a nursing care plan
- Get patients ready for examinations, provide support to surgeons performing surgical interventions and assist with post-operative care
- Provide assistance with recording patient medical histories and symptoms, and sometimes help with diagnosing patients
Deciding between a full-time vs freelance registered nurse
As most healthcare settings have mandated nurse to patient ratios, ensuring that you have an adequate number of nurses on duty at any one time is essential. For this reason, most healthcare providers rely on a workforce of permanent nursing staff. However, hiring contract or temp nurses can be useful when you need to make up for
staffing
shortfalls or your organisation is experiencing an unusually high workload. Many healthcare providers use the services of nursing agencies, which can supply nurses on a temporary basis at short notice.
Hiring nurses on temporary contracts could also be an effective solution for healthcare facilities in regional and remote areas, where attracting and retaining healthcare professionals can be challenging. A registered nurse might be more willing to relocate to a regional or remote area temporarily rather than permanently, especially if the
remuneration
package is attractive.
What are the different types of registered nurse?
In Australia, different types of nurses have different levels of qualification. When hiring a nurse, it’s important to understand what these types are, as the level of training and scope of practice varies.
- Assistant in nursing (AIN): Not technically nurses, but they perform nursing duties under the supervision of an RN and have a TAFE qualification or proof that they are working towards becoming an EN or RN.
- Enrolled nurse (EN): After completing a two-year Diploma of Nursing, an EN works under the supervision of a registered nurse and cannot act alone.
- Registered nurse (RN): An RN completes a three-year Bachelor of Nursing at a university and has more responsibilities than an enrolled nurse, including developing nursing care plans and providing specialised nursing care.
- Nurse practitioner (NP): Mostly employed by state and territory governments in acute care settings, NPs are authorised to perform more advanced and extended clinical duties than RNs; they practise independently and can prescribe some medicines.
- Clinical nurse: A senior registered nurse who has completed postgraduate studies in a specialised area. They have more advanced clinical skills than other nurses and act as a mentor and role model.
Where to find a registered nurse?
Nursing is the largest profession in the Australian healthcare sector. With demand for nurses outstripping supply, attracting and recruiting quality candidates can be challenging.
To find the right registered nurse for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Advertise in different nursing outlets. Make your presence known by advertising at medical conferences and in medical journals, both print and online. This is a great way to reach qualified and dedicated nurses.
- Establish relationships with local universities and vocational education providers. Ask about giving presentations at local educational institutions and, if possible, consider offering to provide internships for nursing students at your organisation. This way, you can support the nursing profession and attract the next generation of nurses to your healthcare facility.
- Use social media: By being active on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, you’ll be able to reach nurses who are looking for work and may be interested in joining your organisation. Add a jobs tab on your social media company page that links to the careers page of your website for easy access.
Post your job online: Try posting your registered nurse job on Indeed to find and attract quality registered nurse candidates.
Skills to look for in a great registered nurse
A great registered nurse candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:
- a Bachelor of Nursing and current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
- previous clinical experience
- empathy, a caring nature and a desire to help others
- strong communication and interpersonal skills
- critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
Writing a registered nurse job description
A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified registered nurse candidates. A registered nurse job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.
When writing your job description for a registered nurse, consider including some or all of the following keywords to strengthen the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on registered nurse jobs, according to Indeed data:
- registered nurse
- nurse
- enrolled nurse
- nursing
- registered nurse aged care
- RN
- practice nurse
- immunisation nurse
- registered nurse sponsorship
- aged care nurse
Interviewing registered nurse candidates
Strong candidates for registered nurse positions will be confident answering questions regarding:
- effective patient and family education
- dealing with difficult patients or family members
- working with others
- explaining medical terms and procedures in plain language
- coping with stress
Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of registered nurse interview questions for examples (with sample answers).
*Indeed provides this information as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your recruiting or legal advisor, we are not responsible for the content of your job descriptions, and none of the information provided herein guarantees performance.
