We're investing in training for our nurses to provide Australians with the right care, at the right time

Our focus continues to drive how Australians access care. By strengthening the capability of our nursing workforce, we are ensuring more people are connected to the most appropriate service for their needs, wherever they are.

Our nurses

Many Healthdirect nurses come from traditional hospital and clinical environments, where emergency departments have long been the default pathway for acute care. In recognition of this, we have invested in training to support nurses in building the knowledge and confidence needed to operate effectively in a virtual care ecosystem.

The training

Through real-world, scenario-based learning, nurses are equipped with clinical context, practical tools, and decision-making frameworks required to guide consumers beyond traditional emergency pathways. This includes referring consumers to safe, appropriate alternatives such as virtual emergency departments, urgent care services and GP pathways.

How the training landed

Early results show 91% high levels of confidence and 93% satisfaction with the training. More importantly, nurses are already applying these skills in practice, demonstrating greater confidence in recommending alternative care pathways and improved ability to clearly explain care options to consumers.

A key shift has been in trust and understanding. Nurses report increased confidence not only in making referral decisions, but in the services themselves. The result is a more efficient, consumer-centred experience, with fewer avoidable emergency department presentations and stronger alignment to clinically appropriate care pathways.

We’ve got baseline data

Our latest research published in Mayo Clinic: Proceedings: Digital Health shows that nurses on the national Healthdirect virtual triage service are reshaping how consumers access healthcare.

Key findings from the data show that people who use the service:

• Have more trust in decision-making: Uncertainty about the right care dropped from 43% to just 0.2% after calling the helpline.
• Are more likely to access the right care: The number of people choosing non-urgent care jumped from 21% to 53%.
• Are using alternative care pathways more: Use of virtual ED options increased from 0.6% to 8.8%.
• Helping to ease pressure on emergency departments: Those planning to visit EDs fell from 37% to 25%.

We know our nurses are the key to ensuring these trends continue to move in the right direction – reducing pressure on the health system and getting people to the right care, at the right time, for their situation.