Consider a career in general practice nursing
Published on:
16 Dec 2020
Category:
Why newly qualified nurses should not be put off working in general practice.
With general practice nurses (GPNs) set to play a key role in the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine, the speciality will increasingly be under the spotlight. Heather Randle – who was appointed as the RCN’s new professional lead for primary care in September – tells Lynne Pearce why recruiting more newly qualified nurses to the specialty and improving the pay and conditions of existing GPNs is top of her agenda.
Her goals are to:
- Improve pay and employment contracts to help tackle the looming shortage of GPNs, including offering employment on the basis of Agenda for Change pay scales
- Raise the profile of general practice nursing so that the public and other nurses know what it entails, and to ensure that GPNs are recognised for their specialist skills
- Boost access to continuing professional development for GPNs and ensure nurses are released for training rather than having to use their own time
- Increase the number of newly qualified nurses in general practice, including the introduction of a two-year fellowship for all nurses new to primary care
- Improve the student experience, including expanding the availability of clinical placements in GP surgeries by making better use of primary care network
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This is an abridged version of the article Why newly qualified nurses should not be put off working in general practice which was first published in Nursing Standard.
