Chronic health conditions
Like many Australians some nurses, midwives and students live and work with chronic health conditions.
Perhaps you are able to manage your condition, with an occasional flair up that can impact your quality of life. Or maybe your chronic health issue is an illness that has a major impact on your ability to work and engage fully in life. No matter how you experience your chronic health condition we understand it may negatively impact you.
We are here to help with the emotional impact of the big health challenges for nurses and midwives. Other health symptoms may be harder to recognise. If your chronic health condition is causing you to feel despondent, overwhelmed, anxious, rudderless, cranky, volatile, and reactive, we can help.
Get specialist help
We are not experts on every chronic health condition, so we suggest you access information from specialist organisations.
Your chronic health condition may be one on this list. If not listed below feel free call us for information. Whatever your condition we are here to listen to your concerns and, if you request it, refer you to another service.
- Diabetes – Diabetes Australia
- Heart disease – Heart Foundation
- Respiratory conditions – Asthma Australia
- Renal disease – Kidney Health Australia
- Multiple Sclerosis – MS Australia
- Dementia – Dementia Australia
- Back pain – Pain Australia
- Musculoskeletal conditions – Pain Australia
- Mental illness – Beyond Blue
- Post-traumatic stress disorder – Phoenix Australia
- Arthritis – Arthritis Australia
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – Emerge Australia
Need support?
Worried about your chronic illness and how you can continue as a nurse or midwife? We're here to help.
Nurse educator Kate Herbert knows better than most the value of support when experiencing a chronic health condition. She lives with myalgia encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a complex and debilitating disease that affects many parts of the body.
Chronic diseases: long lasting conditions with persistent effects
Their social and economic consequences can impact on peoples’ quality of life. Chronic conditions are becoming increasingly common and are a priority for action in the health sector. Many people with chronic conditions do not have a single, predominant condition, but rather they experience multimorbidity– the presence of 2 or more chronic conditions in a person at the same time.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Australian chronic health statistics (2022):
- 8 in 10 (81.4%) people had at least 1 long-term health condition
- 1 in 2 (49.9%) people had at least one chronic condition
Most common chronic conditions:
- Mental and behavioral conditions (26.1%)
- back problems (15.7%)
- arthritis (14.5%)
Source ABS: National Health Survey 2022 – Health conditions prevalence
There are so many economic and social benefits to keep people with chronic conditions in the workforce. I am now working for an organisation that understands my illness and provides the flexibility I need to stop and rest at times. I am treated like a professional and that makes me want to give more.Kate Herbert
See also
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Chronic health issues and the need for support
Nurse educator Kate Herbert tells her story about living with a chronic illness and how good support helped her to complete her training and continue working as a nurse. -
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- Topics
- Chronic illness