Nurses work in collaboration with General Practitioners (GPs) and other members of the general practice team to provide a wide range of services for patients of all ages.

Nurses play a key role in:

• Providing GPs with clinical support such as wound management, immunisations, medication administration etc.
• Patient education to improve chronic disease management for conditions such as Diabetes and Asthma
• Disease prevention activities, for example cervical screening and other health checks
• Health Promotion activities, for example lifestyle risk factor assessment and evidence based healthy lifestyle advice

Nurses working in NSW general practices are either a Registered Nurse (RN) or Enrolled Nurse (EN). The title Practice Nurse is sometimes used to describe either a Registered or Enrolled nurse who works in a general practice.

A Registered Nurse is a person who has undertaken a bachelor level education program of not less than three years (prior to 1985 training was hospital based) and is licensed to practice nursing under an Australian State or Territory Nurses Act.

An Enrolled Nurse is a person who has undertaken a shorter program of education (eg. TAFE for 12 weeks with 37 weeks on the job training). Enrolled Nurses work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse.

Some practices may also employ Midwives to assist with antenatal care.

Nursing in General Practice Information for Patients brochure

Making the most of having access to a General Practice Nurse

Practices which employ nurses are more likely to offer a wider variety of services to their patients, and provide a high level of coordinated multidisciplinary health care.

Nurses are not substitutes for GPs, but work with GPs to achieve positive patient outcomes. Depending on the reason for your visit to the practice, you may only need to see the GP or the nurse, while at other times you may need to see both the GP and nurse during the same visit.

How can a nurse assist you with managing your chronic illness?

One of the roles general practice nurses play an important part in is chronic disease management. Along with your GP, nurses are able to provide support and education to assist you in managing your chronic illness.

The GP and practice nurse work collaboratively with some patients to formulate a written plan of care called a GP Management Plan.

Those patients who would benefit from services provided by other health or care providers (eg. podiatrists, community support services) may have a Team Care Arrangement prepared. This involves the GP and practice nurse working collaboratively with the patient and other members of the ‘team’ to improve the health of the patient.

Both a GP Management Plan and a Team Care Arrangement can be prepared for patients with a chronic illness.

Other activities nurses undertake to assist patients with chronic disease management are:

• Diabetes Cycle of Care
• Asthma Cycle of Care

General Practice Nurses – focusing on health promotion and disease prevention

Another role practice nurses are actively involved in is health promotion and disease prevention. Some activities that nurses undertake to provide these services are:

• 75 years and over annual Health Assessment
• 55 years and over annual ATSI Health Check
• ATSI Child Health Check
• 45 yo Health Check
• Adult and childhood immunisations
• Cervical Screening
• Lifestyle risk factor assessments
• Evidence based healthy lifestyle advice