About
- Provide support to your practice nurse via education sessions at gpns
- Asthma, diabetes, wound management and immunisation updates and more
- Competency Standards for Nurses in General Practice
- Establishment of a Practice Nurse Email group. Interested in joining? Phone 8374 7000 or email
- Regular mail-outs of upcoming events for Practice Nurses
- Our gpns workforce Vacancies page - See positions available and positions wanted
National Registration - New obligations for Nurses and Midwives from 1 July 2010
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia has developed national registration standards, which take effect on 1 July 2010. All registered nurses and midwives must be familiar with the full standards that are available by clicking here. The standards cover:
- Continuing professional development (CPD)
- Recency of practice
- Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII)
- Criminal history
- English language skills
- Endorsement of Nurse Practitioners
- Endorsement for Eligible Midwives
- Endorsement for scheduled medicines registered nurses (rural and isolated practice)
Several FAQ and fact sheets explaining various aspects of national registration are available, please click here.
Annual registration - All nurses and midwives who are registered on 30 June 2010 will be automatically registered in the national scheme until their current registration expires. Annual registration renewal for nurses and midwives with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia will be on 31 May, regardless of the State or Territory in which they practise. If you are due to renew your registration between now and 30 June 2010, your registration will be valid until the end date. Your next renewal in 2011 will be with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and will be for a period that brings you in line with the 31 May national registration renewal date for all nurses and midwives.
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gpns Practice Nurse Handbook 2009 now online!
The gpns Practice Nurse Handbook 2009 is a new resource developed to support practice nurses in their unique role within the general practice team.
Together with a broad overview of the diverse aspects of practice nursing, it provides detailed information to help nurses support GPs in providing high quality, team-based patient care. From chronic disease, to immunisation and infection control, this handy A5-sized handbook aims to be a quick reference guide relevant to your every day work. gpns will update the online version of the handbook regularly.
Updates:
For further information or to provide feedback about the handbook, please contact gpns' Karen Smith on 8374 7003 or email.
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Are You Interested In Employing A Practice Nurse?
Considerations when employing a practice nurse include:
- How can a practice nurse contribute to our general practice?
- Is it financially viable?
- What duties can a Practice Nurse perform?
- Are there any alternatives to employing a practice nurse?
- What are the award wages and conditions for practice nurses?
- Where can I get more information?
- Nursing in General Practice Recruitment and Orientation Resource - refer to section 2
If you are interested in employing a practice nurse, please contact Karen Smith.
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Education
Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship and Support Scheme (NAHSSS) - Applications open 14 August!
The Royal College of Nursing Australia (RCNA) has been appointed as administrator of nursing scholarships under the Dept of Health and Ageing NAHSSS program. Previously the Australian Practice Nurse Association (APNA) administered the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) category for Practice Nurses. Under the new arrangements, the nursing element of the scheme is administered in 4 streams, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Clinical Placements and CPD. CPD for Practice nurses will fall under the CPD NAHSSS stream.
The scheme will invest more than $100 million over four years to support undergraduate and postgraduate study, clinical placements and continuing professional development activities for nursing and allied health students and professionals. The scholarships worth up to a total of $1,500 per applicant for a one-year study period are intended to assist nurses in meeting the cost of their continuing professional development. This can include short courses, workshops and conferences. Further information about the NAHSSS can be found by clicking here and here.
Studying General Practice Nursing
The Flinders University Post Graduate Program in General Practice Nursing IS NOT a requirement for employment in general practice! However, Flinders University offers registered nurses the opportunity to develop clinical knowledge, skills and competencies by studying a specialist stream in the following courses:
- Graduate Certificate in Health
- Graduate Diploma of Nursing
- Master of Nursing
- Master of Clinical Nursing
For further course information, please click here.
Graduate Certificate in Health - General Practice Nursing 2010
The program aims to provide a sound theoretical and clinical basis for nursing practice in a primary care setting. For further information, please click here.
e-Learning Training Package for Medicare Item 10977
AGPN in conjunction with partner organisations Royal College of Nursing Australia and Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, announce the release of the e-Learning Training Package for Medicare Item 10997. Medicare Item 10997 applies to the provision of monitoring and support to people with a chronic disease care plan by a practice nurse or registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker on behalf of a general practitioner.
The package consists of a pre-requisite foundation module and a series of six chronic-disease modules including arthritis, asthma, cancer, coronary heart disease, dementia, and diabetes with an additional module on kidney health to be added to the package in the near future. The content for each module has been developed by expert organisations to provide current best practice and up-to-date information about chronic disease management and utilising Medicare Item 10997 in the general practice setting. The modules can be assessed with a charge levied.
The modules can be accessed here on the RCNA 3LP website. Follow the instructions on the front page under 'Getting started'. You do not need to be a member of RCNA to access the modules.
Nursing and Midwifery Matters - For the latest edition
National Practice Nurse Workforce Survey Report 2009
Practice Nurse Workforce Survey Supplement Report 2009
SHine SA Pap Smear Provider Courses
SHine SA, in conjunction with SA Cervix Screening Program, has developed a Pap smear provider course. This course ensures the nurse is appropriately qualified and trained to take a Pap Smear in a general practice setting. This course is most suitable for registered nurses, midwives and practice nurses, who are working within a general practice that requires Pap smear taking skills as part of their clinical practice. Under certain circumstances enrolled nurses could be considered as participants of this course if their clinical situation meets NBSA guidelines. For more information visit the SHine SA website.
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