Older people in residential aged care homes should have confidence that they will receive safe, high-quality care and services that meets their changing needs, whenever they need it.
To make sure this happens, all providers of residential aged care services across Australia are now required to meet workforce-related responsibilities. This includes having a registered nurse (RN) on site and on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, unless granted a 12-month exemption by the Department of Health and Aged Care.
Each service must meet its own unique targets for the amount of care minutes they deliver to residents each day, part of which needs to be delivered by an RN. From 1 October 2024, 10% of the RN target can include care time delivered by an Enrolled Nurse (EN).
We take a risk-based and proportionate approach to the regulation of these workforce-related responsibilities.
More information
We have a range of resources available to guide and inform providers, workers and people receiving aged care on the 24/7 RN and care minutes responsibilities.
- Read our regulatory bulletin on workforce-related responsibilities to learn more about how we regulate these responsibilities.
- Watch our webinars on demand to find out more about 24/7 RN and care minutes responsibilities:
- 18 April 2023: webinar and presentation on changes to regulation of workforce-related responsibilities including 24/7 on-site registered nurse and care minutes in residential aged care services
- 21 November 2023: webinar on staffing obligations and mandatory care minutes
- 19 November 2024: webinar on workforce responsibilities – the key to delivering a great aged care experience
Read the Statement on 24/7 RN obligations and letter to all approved providers of residential aged care written by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner on 14 April 2023.
Read our media release on regulatory action against residential aged care providers that have persistently failed to meet their mandatory care minute targets, published on 13 January 2025.
The Department of Health and Aged Care has further information and resources available to support providers to understand their 24/7 RN and care minutes responsibilities.
- View the department’s information on care minutes in residential aged care including information on supports in place to assist providers to meet the care minutes responsibility.
- Learn more about aged care workforce initiatives and programs from the department.
