How to become a Director of Nursing or Midwifery
Official title: Director of Nursing / Midwifery
Plans, organises, directs, controls and coordinates nursing/midwifery programs and clinical services in a hospital or other health service facility.
Main tasks
- Provides overall direction and management of nursing/midwifery programs and clinical services in a hospital or other health care facility
- Develops, implements and monitors procedures, policies and standards of nursing/midwifery care, and contributes to health service planning, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations
- Provides leadership, mentorship, guidance, education and training to nursing and midwifery staff to ensure an appropriately skilled workforce
- Collaborates with other Health Professionals to ensure coordinated and integrated patient care
- Participates in research and quality improvement activities to improve patient outcomes
- Recruits and rosters nursing/midwifery staff to meet the needs of the facility or unit
Ways in
- University: Nursing & Midwifery degrees, Offered by 34 universities in Australia
- Licence or registration: Registration or licensing is required.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Typical full-time pay: $141,440 a year
- About 44,300 people work in this job group now, and about 56,200 are projected by 2035. (+27.1%)
- AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Director of Nursing or Midwifery?
Ways in include: Nursing & Midwifery degrees.
How much does a Director of Nursing or Midwifery earn in Australia?
Median full-time pay is $141,440 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Is a Director of Nursing or Midwifery a growing career in Australia?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 27% by 2035, from about 44,300 to about 56,200 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Do you need a degree to become a Director of Nursing or Midwifery?
Usually. 88% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a Director of Nursing or Midwifery?
AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.
Sources
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04
Updated 2026-10-04