Excitement brimmed over the Illawarra union delegate for nurses and midwives when she heard the nation would have a new Labor Prime Minister, because finally she felt the plight of her industry would get heard.

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"If you've got hope for change it make a big difference," Mrs Hardman said.

"People can get more if they go work at Woolies, or places like that. We didn't feel the Morrison government respected us a sector or respected our residents."

The nurse said she felt there was hope for change, not only for a pay rise, but hope the entire system would be overhauled for the benefit of staff and residents in the aged care sector.

Just before the election, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association surveyed 170 aged care nurses from the three Illawarra federal electorates, with the vast majority reporting that staffing on the last shift they worked was "not safe and did not enable them to provide adequate care to residents".

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It also found some nurses didn't have enough time to feed residents while residents missed showers and bathing; short staffing also meant residents missed or had to wait for medications including pain relief; while three out of four aged care nurses across the state were contemplating leaving the sector in the next year, unless urgent aged care reforms occurred.

"I'm sure there'll be a whole heap of very happy aged care nurses but we will be making sure ... the promises are kept," Mrs Hardman said.

Nurses across the board are fighting for better pay and workload conditions though the Federal Government looks after the aged care sector while the State Government overseas nurses and midwives working in hospitals, but Mrs Hardman thinks change could have a "good flow on effect".

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