The Australian College of Nursing’s Deborah Parker says a falling number of registered nurses is affecting the skill mix of the workforce attending to people requiring care. Ms Parker says the number of unregulated personal care workers is rising, making it harder to treat people requiring complex care. “The unregulated worker, with a very short certificate training with approximately 120 hours in the facility is not prepared and does not have the level of assessment and planning skills required to meet the needs of the current aged care clients,” Ms Parker says.
