The Australian Nursing Federation is putting practice nurses under the spotlight, demanding better wages and working conditions.

The nurses’ union has filed an application with Fair Work Australia to bring medical centre and clinic employers to the negotiating table.

An ANF spokesperson said practice nurses have traditionally been disadvantaged because of an inability to effectively bargain with their employers to achieve wages and working conditions that reflect the nursing labour market.

“The Fair Work Act now provides for a regime whereby employees who are considered to be low paid and have had a history of difficulty of bargaining can seek the support of the tribunal,” he said.

“The ANF believe that practice nurses meet these tests. Practice nurses are the last significant group of nurses who have not been able to access a collective bargaining.

“As a consequence, their conditions of employment are well below those of nurses employed in the hospital sectors and in parts of the aged care sector.

“If this trend is not reversed, it will become increasingly difficult for practices to engage and retain suitable numbers of skilled nurses.”

The number of practice nurses in Australia continues to rise with more than 9000 nurses employed in general practices, up from 5000 in 2005, with around 60 per cent of GP clinics now employing one practice nurse.

General practice nursing is now one of the fastest growing areas in the health and community service sectors, and the ANF expects the numbers will increase by 500 each year.

The ANF attempted to discuss improving wages and conditions for practice nurses with employer organisations this year and received mostly negative responses, forcing it to turn to the independent umpire in a bid to collectively bargain.

On top of better wages and conditions, the union is campaigning for a new classification and career path that rewards increased responsibilities and support for practice nurse education and professional development.