Changing the Landscape of Nursing and Midwifery Agency Recruitment: More Than Just "About the Money"

In an industry of chronic understaffing and burnout amongst nurses and midwives, the Australian market of nursing and midwifery agencies is competitive and flooded with recruitment teams and officers all trying to recruit from the same pool of staff! A few misconceptions seem to circulate faster than a hospital grapevine, one particularly frustrating comment that rears its head far too often is: “Oh, they’re just in it for the money.” As an agency founded by a nurse and midwife who still rolls up their sleeves for clinical shifts every week, we wanted to try and address this and set the record straight!

Kenmore Health Recruitment isn’t just another agency looking to cash in on the system. We exist to fill critical gaps in healthcare—gaps that we’ve seen firsthand in a range of metropolitan hospital settings, regional hospitals as well as remote health centres and clinics across Australia – gaps and shortfalls that we just can’t ignore!

Built by Nurses, For Nurses

Our company was born from experience. After years on the frontline, our founder noticed two glaring issues: a flooded agency market often promising more than it delivers, and a lack of tailored support for regional locations in desperate need of skilled staff. This wasn’t just a “business opportunity”—it was a calling.

At Kenmore Health Recruitment, we don’t promise the world and deliver mediocrity. We pride ourselves on being honest with our staff and clients, working as a ‘boutique’ agency that matches appropriately skilled nurses and midwives to the areas that need them most. Regional and remote healthcare services are the backbone of Australia’s health system, and we’re here to support them with a sustainable, meaningful solution.

Profit Isn’t a Dirty Word

Let’s address the elephant in the room: yes, we are a business, and yes, we do make a profit. But here’s the thing—profit isn’t the villain. Profit allows us to:

• Pay our staff well. We deliberately take a minimal profit margin so that the nurses and midwives we place take home more.

• Taking a smaller profit margin, also means that while we pay our nurses and midwives well, we on-charge the health system less so that we are an affordable agency that can be utilised by the health services.

• Support the health system. By keeping services open and ensuring patient safety, we help relieve pressure on permanent staff who are already stretched to their limits.

• Give back. We sponsor events like community sporting teams, fundraising events such as the 2024 Maca 200, conferences such as the NT Australian College of Midwives annual conference to name a few, as well as supporting causes that directly impact nurses, midwives, and the communities we serve.

Contrary to what the Facebook trolls might suggest, we’re not pocketing $100 per hour from the hardworking clinicians we deploy! Our model prioritizes fairness and transparency, ensuring everyone benefits—not just us.

Going Above and Beyond

One of the biggest challenges we face is competing with larger agencies on tender. These agencies often advertise big dollars and flashy incentives, yet many still fail to meet the demands of the sites they serve. In these situations, we refuse to compromise our standards.

At Kenmore Health Recruitment, we willingly sacrifice any potential business earnings to ensure our nurses and midwives are offered top dollar. We also provide additional bonuses like living away from home allowances and other benefits to support their unique needs. This isn’t a decision we take lightly—but for us, it’s always about putting our people first.

We understand the sacrifices our staff make to work in regional and remote locations, and we do everything we can to ensure they’re rewarded. By prioritizing their financial security, work-life balance, and ongoing employment opportunities, we foster a culture of trust and mutual respect.

By working with our staff and clients, we hope that we earn the respect and trust of them, and in turn we continue to form strong and trusting partnerships. It is an essential part of our business model that we continue to remember the people on the ground and work with that as our decision at front of mind.

More Than a Stopgap

For us, this isn’t just about filling shifts. It’s about creating a ripple effect: helping services stay open, ensuring patients in regional and remote areas have access to the care they deserve, and supporting permanent staff who desperately need a break.

We see the difference our work makes every day. From a rural birthing unit staying open because of the midwives we’ve sent, to a regional ED being able to take a breath with the help of our nurses—we’re not just a business. We’re a lifeline.

Setting a New Standard

The nursing and midwifery agency space is crowded, and not all agencies operate with integrity. But at Kenmore Health Recruitment, we’re raising the bar. We believe in honesty, fairness, and doing what’s right—not just what’s profitable.

So, the next time someone says, “They’re just about the money,” we encourage you to look deeper. We’re here to support Australia’s healthcare landscape, one shift, one placement, and one community at a time.

And if that makes a profit along the way? Good. Because with profit comes the ability to employ more people, support more causes, and continue making a real difference where it’s needed most.

We’re not just an agency. We’re a movement to change how nursing and midwifery recruitment is done.

To all our supporters, clients, and clinicians—thank you for being part of our journey. Let’s keep proving the naysayers wrong.