Gender pay disparity still rife in nursing

New data has shown that the gender of an Australian nursing graduate has a profound effect on how much they will be paid and how quickly their career will progress.

Researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) have published The gender pay gap in the Australian nursing workforce: A retrospective observational study, examining the ongoing disparity experienced by female nursing graduates across all Australian universities.

Using data from a national graduate survey commissioned by the Department of Education, ECU researchers analysed the career progression of 4,250 graduates who had completed a Bachelor of Nursing or Bachelor of Nursing Honours degree (excluding midwifery), at six months and three years post-grad.

Key findings show that male nurses are being paid around four per cent more than their female colleagues six months after graduation, with the gap widening to approximately 13 per cent at the three year mark.

”In this study, men at three years earned $39.50 per hour compared to women who earned $38 per hour”

ECU research fellow Dr Gemma Doleman said that men are also more likely to get promoted sooner than women.

”In this study, men at three years earned $39.50 per hour compared to women who earned $38 per hour,” Dr Doleman explains.

Research on nursing career trajectories suggests that men experience a faster rate of career progression compared to women and are over-represented in senior positions.

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Another contributing factor to these results is the increased likelihood that male nurses will work more hours per week and opt-in to non-sociable hours.

”In addition, the cohort of men had an average age of 35 years in this study, which may also suggest that they have undertaken previous study and work that resulted in them reporting being overqualified more than women upon graduation,” Dr Doleman said.

“Nurses may not enter the workforce anticipating large salaries, but they do wish to be paid appropriately”

Yet the pay disparity cannot simply be attributed to a difference in age or work experience between genders, with the study showing that female nurses over 26 experience an increased wage gap of five to 16 per cent.

Dr Doleman said that the Australian healthcare industry needs to deliver a wider choice of working arrangements for female nurses if it hopes to retain experienced staff and address ever-increasing workforce shortfalls.

“There are a range of flexible work environments that can be considered, including alternative shifts away from the traditional eight to 12 hours – shorter shifts, or job sharing could offer more opportunities,” she said.

“The introduction of new roles in telehealth, which offers nurses the possibility of remote working, or using experienced nurses to on-board new graduates at family friendly times can also be used to support the workforce.

“Nurses may not enter the workforce anticipating large salaries, but they do wish to be paid appropriately, and research has long shown a strong association between pay rates, job satisfaction and retention of nurses within the workforce.”