What is the Nurses Award?

The Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034) is the modern award that sets minimum pay rates and employment conditions for eligible nurses and some midwives in Australia. It covers registered nurses, enrolled nurses and mothercraft nurses working in relevant private-sector settings, including private hospitals, aged care facilities, community health services and day procedure centres.

The award includes classification structures, ordinary hours, penalty rates, allowances, leave entitlements and other employment conditions. The correct outcome depends on the employee’s classification, qualification, shift pattern, employment arrangement and the specific award provisions that apply.

If your organisation also employs personal care workers, nursing assistants or other support staff, those employees may be covered by a different industrial instrument, such as the Aged Care Award or the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (SCHADS).

Who does the Nurses Award cover?

The award applies to relevant private-sector employers and employees, including:

  • Registered nurses
  • Enrolled nurses, with or without medication endorsement
  • Mothercraft nurses
  • Other classifications listed in the award

Public-sector nurses are often covered by state-based instruments or enterprise agreements rather than the Nurses Award directly. Employers should check the relevant coverage provisions and current Fair Work guidance before deciding which instrument applies.

Nursing assistants and aged care employees

From 1 January 2025, the Nurses Award no longer covers nursing assistants who provide care services to older people in residential aged care or home care settings.

These employees may instead be covered by the Aged Care Award or the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award, depending on the work performed and the applicable coverage rules.

For more information, see the Fair Work Ombudsman guidance on changes to minimum pay rates in the Nurses Award.

Pay classifications and grade progression

The Nurses Award contains different classification structures and pay points for registered nurses, enrolled nurses and other eligible roles.

A registered nurse may progress through classification levels and pay points based on the requirements of the award, including experience, qualifications, skills and the duties performed. Enrolled nurses have a separate classification structure, and medication endorsement may affect the applicable classification.

Employers should not rely on job titles alone when determining the correct rate. Classification, qualification, duties and progression requirements should be checked against the current award and any applicable enterprise agreement.

Misclassifying an employee can result in incorrect ordinary rates, penalties, allowances, overtime and leave payments.

Penalty rates and when they apply

The Nurses Award includes different payment rules for work performed at particular times or in particular circumstances. The applicable rate depends on the employee’s classification, employment arrangement, shift type, day of the week and other award conditions.

Afternoon shifts: an afternoon shift is generally a shift that commences no earlier than 12.00 noon and finishes after 6.00 pm on the same day. The applicable shift allowance depends on the award provisions and the employee’s working arrangement.

Night shifts: night shift provisions apply where the shift falls within the relevant night-shift window under the award.

Saturday and Sunday work: ordinary hours worked on Saturdays and Sundays may attract different penalty rates, subject to the specific award rules.

Public holidays: work performed on a public holiday may attract a public holiday payment, and substitute-day provisions may apply in some circumstances.

Overtime: overtime provisions may apply when work is performed outside ordinary hours or exceeds the applicable ordinary-hours limits.

The Nurses Award does not generally mean that every possible penalty or allowance is added together. The applicable provisions determine which payment applies in a particular situation. Employers should check the current award wording rather than assuming that penalties automatically overlap.

Current rates and payment rules should be checked against the Nurses Award and the latest Fair Work pay guides.

Allowances that payroll teams need to monitor

The Nurses Award includes allowances that may apply when specific conditions are met, including:

  • On-call allowance: may apply when an employee is required to be available outside rostered hours.
  • Recall to work: may apply when an employee is recalled to work, including minimum-payment provisions where applicable.
  • Uniform and laundry allowance: may apply where the employer does not provide or launder required uniforms.
  • Meal allowance: may apply when overtime or other qualifying work extends beyond the relevant threshold.
  • First aid allowance: may apply to an employee appointed as a first aid officer.
  • Higher duties allowance: may apply when an employee performs duties at a higher classification.
  • Other award allowances: may apply depending on the employee’s work, location, qualifications and working arrangements.

Many allowances are conditional. Payroll teams need to assess whether the relevant circumstances occurred during the pay period and whether any exclusions or alternative provisions apply.

Leave entitlements under the Nurses Award

Employees covered by the Nurses Award receive the National Employment Standards (NES) entitlements, together with any additional award provisions that apply.

These may include:

  • Annual leave: accrued in accordance with the NES, with additional provisions potentially applying to eligible shift workers.
  • Personal/carer’s leave: provided in accordance with the NES.
  • Compassionate leave: provided in accordance with the NES.
  • Community service leave: provided in accordance with the NES.
  • Long service leave: generally governed by the applicable state or territory legislation.
  • Annual leave loading: may apply under the award, subject to the relevant award provisions and any more favourable applicable instrument.

Employers should check the current award and applicable legislation when calculating leave payments.

A practical scenario: a Sunday night shift in aged care

Consider an eligible registered nurse who works a night shift that begins on Sunday and finishes on Monday morning.

The correct payment may depend on:

  • The employee’s classification and pay point
  • The time the shift begins and ends
  • Whether the shift is a night shift under the award
  • The hours worked on Sunday and Monday
  • Whether overtime or public holiday provisions apply
  • Whether the employee is covered by the Nurses Award or another industrial instrument

A payroll system needs to assess the relevant time periods and award conditions rather than treating the entire shift as a single flat payment. The final result should be checked against the current award rules and the employer’s configuration.

Humanforce’s award interpretation capabilities are designed to help employers manage date-driven award and enterprise-agreement rules. The outcome depends on the organisation’s configuration, applicable instruments and the information recorded in the system.

Keeping up with award updates

The Fair Work Commission reviews minimum wages and may make changes affecting the Nurses Award. Changes can include:

  • Base-rate increases following the Annual Wage Review
  • Classification changes
  • Updated allowance amounts
  • Changes to penalty-rate provisions
  • Changes affecting particular industries or employee groups

Employers should monitor official Fair Work information, review the current award and test payroll configurations when changes take effect. The Fair Work Ombudsman and the Fair Work Commission provide official information about award requirements and wage decisions.

The link between rostering and payroll accuracy

In healthcare, roster information can affect payroll outcomes. Classification, shift type, location, hours worked and changes to a published roster may all need to be reflected accurately in payroll.

A connected workforce management and payroll platform can help reduce duplicated data entry and give payroll teams better visibility of roster and pay-condition information. Results depend on the applicable industrial instruments, system configuration and the quality of the underlying employee and roster data.

For aged care providers managing employees covered by different awards, it is important to confirm which award applies to each role before calculating pay.