Overview
Initiative type
Model of Care
Status
Deliver
Published
June 2026
Summary
A statewide clinical education model strengthening Nuclear Medicine Scientist workforce capability, sustainability and pipeline across Queensland Health.
Dates: N/A
Implementation sites: Metro North HHS
This project was presented as a Poster at CEQ Showcase 2026 (PDF 146KB).
Aim
To establish a statewide education model that strengthens workforce capability, elevates and advocates for the Nuclear Medicine Scientist (NMS) profession and secures a sustainable workforce pipeline that supports safe, timely and high-quality nuclear medicine services across Queensland Health.
Outcomes
Aligned statewide education with workforce priorities through a comprehensive learning needs analysis to inform education plan. Strengthened the workforce pipeline by supporting Queensland’s only NMS qualification (32 projected graduates over 8 years) and a High School Work Experience program (140+ schools; 50 student participants).
Enabled full-scope medicine administration through regulatory reform and supported safe implementation through development of a governance and training framework. Delivered the first statewide radiopharmacy audit, achieving >80% conformity with international standards and embedding quality management systems in practice. Established a centralised digital education hub and statewide CPD forums to improve equity of access.
Background
Queensland Health nuclear medicine services operate across eight tertiary and regional facilities, with Nuclear Medicine Scientists essential to their continued delivery. Historically, the Statewide Nuclear Medicine Clinical Educator role was supported by 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) and primarily focused on coordinating interstate university student placements and select qualified staff initiatives. As both the workforce and number of Queensland Health Nuclear Medicine practices doubled, the role lacked capacity to deliver structured staff development, statewide education, or quality improvement.
Education remained locally driven, resulting in duplication of effort, uneven access to professional development and inequities for staff outside metropolitan areas. Rapid technological advancement, rising clinical demand, expanded therapy procedures and national
workforce shortages further intensified operational pressures. Without coordinated capability development and investment in the future workforce, the sustainability of Nuclear Medicine services was under threat. To address these challenges, the Clinical Educator
role was expanded to 2.0 FTE, forming the Statewide Nuclear Medicine Education (SWNME) team. This model enables equitable access to education across Queensland, centralises resources to improve efficiency, supports consistent implementation of initiatives and strengthens advocacy for the Nuclear Medicine profession within and beyond Queensland Health.
Nationally, Nuclear Medicine services face accelerating demand. Medicare-funded PET procedures increased by approximately 104 percent over five years, while the registered workforce grew by only 5.9 percent. This mismatch reflects rapid growth in cancer imaging and targeted radionuclide therapies without proportional workforce expansion. Actual demand is underestimated, as non-rebatable PET, general nuclear medicine studies and Theranostic procedures are not fully captured in Medicare data. Workforce fragility was highlighted at the 2023 Nuclear Medicine Technologist Workforce Summit hosted by the Australia and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine. Sixty-six percent
of workplaces reported at least one vacant Nuclear Medicine Scientist position, and modelling indicated up to 20 percent of practitioners may leave the profession every five years due to workload pressures and burnout. This reflects a workforce under significant
strain with limited surge capacity.
Queensland represents approximately 17.45 percent of the national Nuclear Medicine workforce. Despite this, public services report vacancy rates of around 20 percent (as of 18/02/2026), with projections identifying a need for at least eight new nuclear medicine scientists annually to meet growth and routine turnover. However, Queensland has had no local university training pathway in Nuclear Medicine for over 40 years, creating long-term reliance on interstate recruitment within an increasingly competitive market. The previous limited statewide education resource could not meet demands arising from increased workforce size, advancing technology and growing clinical complexity. Localised education delivery created inconsistent supervision standards, duplicated work and limited access to development opportunities, particularly for regional and rural staff. The overarching issue was clear: without coordinated workforce development, improved training pathways and modernised regulatory settings, Nuclear Medicine service sustainability would remain at risk.
Methods
The SWNME 2.0FTE is shared across a part‑time NMS group, creating a team‑based model.
It is structured around three integrated pillars: workforce capability development, strengthening the workforce pipeline and profession advocacy. Accessibility principles underpin all initiatives to ensure inclusion and equitable participation.
Learning Needs Analysis: In 2025, the SWNME team conducted a comprehensive learning needs analysis of the NMS workforce. This included reviewing professional standards, regulatory and legislative requirements, Queensland Health strategic priorities and workforce summit reports. A workforce survey identified individual and departmental learning needs. The resulting gap analysis informed prioritisation of initiatives and guided development of a structured workplan. This process aligned with continuous quality improvement principles
through data review, stakeholder engagement and iterative evaluation.
Regulatory Reform: Working with OCAHO and NMS Team Leads, the SWNME team sought amendment to the Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation to authorise NMS to administer all medicines within their professional scope. To ensure safe implementation, the SWNME team created the Nuclear Medicine Safe Use of Medicines (NM-SUM) Framework, outlining competency and governance requirements. An associated training program included medication safety training, theoretical assessment and clinical competency tools. Together, the Framework and training program ensure safe, consistent standards and skills portability. A statewide working group was formed to increase inter-departmental collaboration and minimise duplication of effort, for efficient and consistent implementation of this change in practice.
Embedded Education and Workforce Pipeline: The SWNME team partnered with OCAHO and NMS Team Leads to support design and rollout of the RMIT embedded student program - Queensland’s only qualification pathway for Nuclear Medicine Scientists. Statewide placement coordination included development of supervisor education resources, delivery of student workshops and active engagement with the University to ensure clinical and academic alignment. Surveys support continuous refinement of the placement framework, promoting consistent supervision, positive student experiences and adaptability to the new embedded model.
High School Work Experience Program A structured High School Work Experience Program was developed in line with policy requirements, including formal agreements, supervision guidelines and observational learning objectives. Engagement with more than 140 Queensland secondary schools has increased awareness of Nuclear Medicine as a career pathway. More than 50 students have participated, with early outcomes including positive feedback and increased applications into the embedded student program, demonstrating measurable pipeline impact.
Centralised Digital Education Platform: A centralised SharePoint-based digital education hub was created for equitable access to profession-specific resources, supervision materials and practice updates. Monthly newsletters and virtual professional development meetings support knowledge sharing, celebrate staff achievements and strengthen a statewide community of practice.
Radiopharmacy Quality Management System Audit: Using the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) quality management framework, the SWNME team co-ordinated a statewide radiopharmacy practices quality audit. Identified non-conformities were addressed through shared documentation and mentoring relationships to reduce duplication of effort. Repeat audits were conducted at 6 and 12months, to develop quality management systems.
Discussion
The success of the Statewide Nuclear Medicine Education team model was enabled by recognition of the critical role of education to workforce sustainability and service delivery. Escalating service demand and workforce shortages identified in national workforce data, created a clear need for co-ordinated education leadership. Expansion from 0.5 to 2.0 FTE positions provided the capacity required to shift from primarily student placement co-ordination to a strategic, statewide model delivering measurable workforce development and education initiatives. Collaboration is an essential enabler. Initiatives were developed and implemented in partnership with education providers, Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer, Nuclear Medicine Scientist Team Leads statewide and private sector representatives. The team engages with frequent and ongoing stakeholder consultation before, during and after implementation to ensure key initiatives are responsive to identified challenges and fit for purpose. Several key lessons emerged.
Firstly, equitable access to education requires intentional design. Virtual delivery platforms, centralised digital resources and structured communication channels were necessary to engage regional and rural staff and reduce professional isolation.
Secondly, workforce capability initiatives are most effective when supported by local champions and mentorship.
Thirdly, changes to clinical scope require robust governance frameworks, clear competency pathways and transparent communication, consistent with professional capability standards.
Strengths of the model include consistency, scalability and efficiency. A centralised approach reduced duplication of effort, streamlined implementation of regulatory amendments, and radiopharmacy audits, ensuring uniform standards and improved skills portability. The radiopharmacy audit utilised an internationally recognised quality management framework to align practice with international best standards. Structured student pathways and early engagement through high school work experience strengthened long-term workforce planning and provided a proactive response to identified workforce pressures.
The achievements of the SWNME team were recognised with the 2025 Metro North Excellence in Training and Education Award. The model strengthened collaboration and fostered a community of practice across Queensland Health Nuclear Medicine services. However,
centralisation requires strong site engagement and continuous stakeholder consultation to ensure initiatives remain responsive to local operational needs. Opportunities exist to further embed data-driven evaluation aligned with national workforce forecasting
priorities, expand digital learning platforms and strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration.
Future priorities include formal evaluation of staff and student engagement and retention, strengthening cross-sector partnerships and embedding consistent statewide metrics aligned with workforce planning frameworks. The model is transferable to other small or geographically dispersed Allied Health professions experiencing workforce shortages. Podiatry has commenced adoption of this statewide education model, demonstrating its adaptability beyond Nuclear Medicine and confirming its potential as a scalable framework for Allied Health workforce development. The Statewide Nuclear Medicine Education model demonstrates that investment in Allied Health education infrastructure strengthens workforce capability and system performance to support sustainable, high-quality healthcare delivery across Queensland.
References
1. Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine. Nuclear Medicine Technologist Workforce Summit Report. Melbourne: ANZSNM; 2023.
2. Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia. Annual Report 2022–23. Melbourne: Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency; 2023.
3. Australian Government Department of Health. Medicare Benefits Schedule Statistics. Canberra: Australian Government; 2023.
4. Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia. Professional Capabilities for Medical Radiation Practice. Melbourne: Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency; 2020.
5. Queensland Government. Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021. Brisbane: Queensland Government; 2021
6. International Atomic Energy Agency. Quality management audits in nuclear medicine practices. Vienna: IAEA; 2015
Key contact
Maddison Carroll
Statewide Nuclear Medicine Scientist Education
Metro North Hospital and Health Service