ABSTRACT
This chapter will offer the reader insight into the systemic structures that impact on the practice of nursing in Australia and an outline of the Australian health care system and the key areas of governance, funding and tensions within the system. It will offer a description of contemporary contexts of nursing and the tensions between the system and nursing practice. This chapter will also provide an overview of the National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions and the health system and the future challenges to nursing in meeting the changing health care needs of the population.
