"Stop passing the buck, Australia's nursing grads need jobs" is the Australian Nursing Federation's new national campaign, aimed at getting employment for graduates.

The campaign was started to place pressure on the nation's politicians to fund strategies to ensure jobs and the promotion of safe patient care. "With a predicted shortage of nurses as high as 109,000 by 2025, the non-employment of graduate nurses by state governments is staggering," said ANF federal secretary Lee Thomas. "Almost every state is affected, with Queensland employing only 10 per cent of graduates, while in Victoria more than 800 are without employment." The campaign's strategies include waiving HECS fees for graduates who accept employment opportunities in areas of need, rotation...