This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New career support for practice nurses
24/09/2004
Frontline nurses working in the key area of general
practice were today given a major boost to develop their
careers.
A new Framework for nurses working out of GP surgeries
sets out a series of eleven standards to support them in
the challenging environment of modern primary care.
Most recent statistics show that practice nurses have an
estimated 5.4 million contacts with patients every
year.
Practice nurses across Scotland were consulted about
their roles and this Framework has been developed in
accordance with their views.
Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said:
"Practice nurses make a huge contribution to the
delivery of high quality primary care services and they
should be appropriately trained, involved in decision
making and provided with a good working environment.
"The framework being launched today sets out standards
of best practice for recruitment and personal development
to benefit the nurse and ultimately patients.
"Over the last ten years, practice nursing has become
possibly the fastest growing discipline in primary care and
is an increasingly attractive area due to the opportunities
that it can provide in areas such as chronic disease
management.
"However while working in a small organisation can have
its benefits such as the autonomy it brings, practice
nurses often feel they lack support in their own personal
development.
"This Framework gives guidance to practices on the
variety of training that nurses should be offered depending
on their needs, including induction periods and the
assessment of training requirements.
"There will also be more opportunities for student
placements to learn about the work of practice nurses,
offering new challenges and ideas. Raising the profile of
practice nursing is increasingly important as 60 per cent
of the current workforce will reach retirement age in the
next five years.
"Good teamwork and effective communication is needed
within Primary Care teams and the new General Medical
Services (GMS) contract will create opportunities for
developing new roles in clinical leadership. As the work of
the nurses in general practice becomes more specialised,
with some services becoming nurse-led, closer involvement
of nurses in planning and delivery of services is
essential."
Director of Royal College of Nursing (Scotland) James
Kennedy,said:
"This framework will give general practices a clear
objective to deliver a modern and flexible working
environment for practice nurses. For many patients the
practice nurse is the public face of the NHS. They deserve
to be supported and rewarded just like their colleagues in
the NHS. I am pleased that details of how Agenda For
Change might be applied to practice staff is included in
the Framework. I hope practices view this as a baseline
for all practice nurses in Scotland."
Bridget Hunter, Lead Officer for Nursing, Unison
Scotland said:
"UNISON is delighted to note that recognition is given
to the evolving role of the Practice Nurse. This is
particularly so given the huge volume of changes that
continue to occur within the NHS in Scotland. This
document goes some way to developing consistency in the
treatment of these staff which in turn offers security and
ultimately safer standards of care."
The
Framework for
Nursing in General Practice can be accessed on the
Executive website.
This Framework is endorsed by the following professional
organisations: Community Practitioners' and Health
Visitors' Association, Royal College of General Practioners
Scotland, Royal College of Nursing Scotland, Unison,
Scottish General Practioners Committee and the Scottish
Practice Nurses Association.
The standards summarised in relation to the chapters
are:
Fair and Consistent Treatment - This standard sets
out that recruitment process of practice nursing should be
impartial and fair. It covers the interviewing for and
advertising of the role, job description, employment
contract and the opportunity for working flexible
hours.
It states that the recruitment of applicants should be
done by a multi-disciplinary panel including a nurse with
relevant experience to that practice. It also sets out
details of Agenda for Change and how it might be applied to
practice employed staff.
Induction and Initial Preparation for Role - All nurses
entering a new practice should have a formal induction
period which covers the key goals of the practice and the
legal, occupational and health and safety requirements of
the practice.
The induction should also identify the nurse's
individual learning needs and a mentor should be assigned
to be a point of reference within these first months.
Developing the Nursing Team - Developing new and
advanced nursing roles that are informed by the needs of
the patients and complement other team members. Practice
nurses should have access to training that prepares them
for their role and enhances it.
Learning and Personal Development - The ongoing learning
of practice nurses should be supported in line with
patient, community and practice needs, with dedicated time
set aside.
A variety of methods of learning should be offered based
on the needs of the nurses. This learning could be formal
(academic/professional awards), competence based (covering
topics such as dermatology, caring for
epileptics/diabetics, infection control), work based
(secondments, mentorship and shadowing) or self-directed by
the nurse.
Communication and Teamwork - Practice nurses should be
kept informed of and contribute to all decision making that
effects them, supporting them as a core member of the
primary health care team. Nurses should also have access
to Information Technology including email and the
internet.
Accountability for Professional Practice - Practice
nurses should be enabled to work in an environment where
they can exercise their professional accountability.
GP practices will not be assessed against these
standards in any formal way but they will find it useful to
self-assess as part of their own development plans.
Ongoing support to practices in using the framework will be
developed.
Practice nurses are not employed directly by the NHS,
but are employed by general practices, which hold
independent contracts with the NHS for the delivery of
services. Practices can choose for themselves what staff
they will employ and under what conditions, so long as they
comply with employment law and contractual
requirements.