Health Education England (HEE) has launched a training course aimed at preparing nurses to get into careers as general practice nurses.
The programme is aimed at making a career as general practice nurse more accessible and hopes to improve understanding and awareness of what is involved in general practice and to encourage pre-registration nurses to see the ‘value and potential’ of a career in this area.
HEE says that the training module was developed after the body received feedback suggesting that many applicants were struggling to pass recruitment processes for roles in general practice.
Professor Simon Gregory, a GP and medical director of primary and integrated care at HEE, said: ‘We know that people interested in this career have faced challenges when applying for vacancies.
‘Being able to evidence understanding of work in these areas is an important part of the application process so this training module has been developed to provide support with this.
‘We want GPs/general practice employers and others in Primary Care to be aware of this module – we hope it will help them in recruiting general practice nurses, and that they will notice a difference when applicants have taken this training.’
Hilary Garratt, deputy chief nursing officer for NHS England, said: ‘Nurses play a vital role in general practice and it’s important that those who are considering a career in primary care have the information and training they need to put themselves forward.’
Adding: ‘we hope nurses of all levels of experience who want to explore this option will take up the new training on offer.’
Feedback was received from a steering group made up of stakeholders such as the Queen’s Nursing Institute, Royal College of Nurses, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and general practices nurses and nursing associates.
The news comes as the Government launched a consultation today on regulating physician associates, in a move that could grant them prescribing powers.
A version of this article was first published by Pulse’s sister title Nursing in Practice
Creating more noctors, insulting to GPs.
A three year degree level nurse training does not apparently equip nurses to give immunisations, take blood, perform cervical cytology or give B12 injections without further costly training.
However almost anyone could be trained to carry out these tasks safely, and be significantly cheaper to employ than a nurse.
Nurses are superfluous in GP, other than for regulatory reasons.