Does Registered nurse on duty 24/7 in residential aged care apply to aged care providers?
A computed answer from the Rules Mate applicability engine, with the exact condition, the outcome for every structure and size, and the primary source.
Short answer: Only if
Only if you operate residential aged care. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Aged care provider), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
The obligation in brief
Registered nurse on duty 24/7 in residential aged care. Section 54-1AA of the Aged Care Act (from 1 July 2023, continued under the Aged Care Act 2024) requires residential aged care providers to have at least one registered nurse on duty and on site at all times. Limited exemptions for facilities with fewer than 30 beds in regional/remote areas.
Trigger: Operating a residential aged care service.
Why aged care providers get a different answer
Rules Mate runs its applicability engine across 9 business structures and 6 size bands for each of the 35 industries it maps. For 34 of those industries the answer for "Registered nurse on duty 24/7 in residential aged care" is no. Aged care providers is one of the 1 where the answer is different: only if.
The deciding fact for aged care providers: Aged care provider; applies only if you operate residential aged care.
About the industry: Residential and home-care providers under the new Aged Care Act 2024 (in force 1 November 2025).
Compare a professional services (general) business with 6–19 employees structured as a Pty Ltd company: the obligation does not apply (Requires a trigger outside this questionnaire).
Answer by business structure and size
Each cell is the engine's outcome for a business in aged care providers with that structure and size, assuming it sells to consumers and small businesses and holds customer contact details. "Check" means the obligation turns on a fact the industry does not settle.
| Structure | No employees | 1–5 employees | 6–19 employees | 20–99 employees | 100–499 employees | 500+ employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Partnership | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Trust | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Pty Ltd company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Public company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Not-for-profit (unregistered) | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Registered charity | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Super fund | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Foreign company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
What the obligation requires
- When due
- Continuous from 1 July 2023.
- Evidence to keep
- Rostering records, RN credentialing, exemption documentation if applicable.
- Maximum penalty
- Civil penalties; sanctions including imposition of conditions
- Regulator
- ACQSC
- Jurisdiction
- Commonwealth (national)
Other obligations where aged care providers differ from the norm
- AN-ACC funding classification compliance (residential): Only if
- Comply with Aged Care Code of Conduct: Yes
- Comply with Aged Care Quality Standards (Aged Care Act 2024): Yes
- Comply with restrictive practices rules + behaviour support plans: Only if
- Comply with Serious Incident Response Scheme (aged care): Yes
- Key personnel obligations under Aged Care Act 2024: Yes
- All 19 answers for aged care providers
Questions
- Does Registered nurse on duty 24/7 in residential aged care apply to aged care providers?
- Only if you operate residential aged care. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Aged care provider), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
- Is the answer the same for every industry?
- No. For 34 of the 35 industries Rules Mate maps, the answer is no. Aged care providers is one of 1 industries with a different answer.
Related
Sources
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.