The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia implemented an Outcomes-Based Assessment (OBA) for Internationally Qualified Nurses and Midwives (IQNM’s) in 2020. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination is the practical exam component of the Outcomes-Based Assessment for IQNMs (OSCE).

The demand for qualified registered nurses in Australia is rising. Australia is projected to experience a shortage of 125,000 nurses by 2025.

Various Australian state governments are implementing unique incentives to promote nursing education in their various states in order to fill this huge gap.

The country will benefit from a substantial increase in the number of qualified nurses if the nursing OSCE fees are reconsidered.

These initiatives are necessary to reduce the projected shortage.
Increased demand for internationally qualified nurses and chances for nurses to work in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States may have a substantial effect on the Australian nursing shortage.

With the implementation of the OBA assessment process, it has become more challenging for international nurses to get registration in Australia:

• According to AHPRA's published information, there are now just five OSCE exam dates per year.
• With a $4,000 AHPRA testing fee, international travel to Adelaide, and two or three days of accommodation, Australia is an unappealing alternative for international nurses, as each OSCE exam costs between $7,000 and $7,500 when all expenditures are considered.
  Exam fees should be compared to those in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, and if possible, decreased.
  Currently, the first sitting in the United Kingdom costs GBP 790, while the second costs GBP 390.
• It is challenging for many overseas nurses to travel to Australia for OSCE because there is no guarantee of success. This fear of failure prompts nurses to seek different employment opportunities, such as in the United Kingdom.

After the implementation of the OBA exam process in March 2020, industry experts notice a sharp decline in the number of international nurses who favour Australia.

Request to the Federal Government of Australia:

• Evaluate the newly adopted OBA exam process request is to increase the number of OSCE testing centers so that more international nurses can take the exam.
• Reduce OSCE exam fees to assist international nursing recruitment and make Australia an attractive destination for internationally qualified registered nurses. Propose an OSCE maximum fee of $1,500 for the first sitting and $800 for the second, in line with the United Kingdom.