Programs - Nursing in General Practice

Nursing in General Practice

Program Manager - Sonya Berryman - Phone: (02) 6884 0197

In NSW there are approximately 2300 nurses working in General Practice. Fifty eight percent (58%) of general practices are reported to employ a nurse (AGPN National Practice Nurse Workforce Survey 2007)

The role of the practice nurse (PN) in general practice is varied, depending on practice needs, demographics, size and layout and the qualifications of the nurse. The role of the nurse may include, but is not limited to the following:

• Providing Clinical nursing services, eg Triage, wound care, clinical data management.

• Coordinating patient services, eg. Liaising with allied health providers and integrating service delivery.

• Managing the clinical environment by assisting the general practice to meet relevant standards and legislative requirements, eg, cold chain monitoring, infection control and sterilisation.

• Promoting patient, carer and community well being through health promotion, education and encouraging patient self management.

• Sustaining general practice by contributing to better management of human and material resources through building practice capacity to adapt to change and maximising financial efficiency.

• Improving health outcomes by contributing to and enhancing the management and prevention of ill health through health screening, immunisation, register and recalls, patient education, acute and chronic disease management.

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