Are you a Nurse Considering Working in General Practice?

General practice nursing is a specialty field of nursing offering a range of opportunities and skills. There are over 5000 nurses now employed in general practices around Australia, and 104 practice nurses within Illawarra practices.

A career in general practice provides nurses the opportunity to:

• Be core members of general practice teams
• Work with patients of all ages
• Utilise a broad range of clinical skills
• Be involved in chronic disease management
• Be involved in patient education
• Be involved in health Promotion
• Be involved in disease prevention
• Spend more quality time with family with flexible working hours

AGPN information brochure

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Medicare Local (ISML) supports the integration of nurses into the general practice setting by providing assistance with recruitment, orientation packages, ongoing professional development and networking opportunities.

Recruitment

Many nursing positions available in local practices are listed on the positions vacant section of the ISML website. However not all available practice nurse position in the area are listed, as some practices may choose to advertise elsewhere, such as the local newspapper.

Orientation

The ISML Practice Support Team is available to provide a range of services to those nurses who are new to nursing in general practice. To aid in the transition into general practice, the Practice Support Team provide assistance with:

• Understanding Medicare nurse item numbers
• Health Assessments and Care Plans 
• Medical Director training
• Clinical Software training 

A national Nursing in General Practice Recruitment and Orientation Resource is also available online. Within this resource Section 3 provides information for nurses considering working in a general practice, as well as those newly employed in general practice.

The National Competency Standards for Nurses working in General Practice have been developed and provide a useful framework that reflects nursing practice in the general practice setting. 

Supporting Nurses working in General Practice

Other organisations that provide useful information and resources include the following:

Australian Practice Nurse Association (APNA) - The Australian Practice Nurses Association (APNA) is the peak professional body for nurses working in general practice and most recently primary heath care.

Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) Nursing in General Practice - AGPN's vision for Nursing in General Practice (NiGP) is that every general practice in Australia be supported and encouraged to employ or have access to a general practice nurse.

Royal Australian College of Nursing (RCNA) - The Australian member of the International Council of Nurses (ICN). RCNA is a national membership organisation contributing to the enhancement of the nursing profession and is open to nurses and nursing students in all areas of the profession. 

Roles of Nurses in General Practice DVD

It's a Choice Recruitment DVD

Nursing in General Practice - It's a choice' Recruitment DVD - developed to showcase the role of a nurse in general practice by General Practice Queensland. This video clip was developed by the Queensland Provincial workgroup to raise the profile of nursing in general practice and to support the recruitment of nurses into general practice. It provides a snap shot of a 'day in the life' of three practice nurses' across different geographical areas in Queensland. The video clip showcases the diverse role of the practice nurse including immunisation, wound management, health assessments, women's health, patient education, data management and the management of chronic disease. Click here to view.