Halcomb, Elizabeth (Liz) J. Prof.

<p>General practice nurses (GPN) have a key front line role to play in providing integrated healthcare. It was identified that many GPN encounter people with mental health issues in their daily practice, however, the role of a general nurse in mental health was unclear. Providing role clarity by defining the GPNs scope of practice is a powerful tool to reduce role confusion and ambiguity, and optimize GPNs role in improving service delivery to patients. A team of primary care and mental health nurse academics from UOW was funded by the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, through the Department of Health, to develop mental health practice standards for GPNs. <br />In addition to communicating the role that general nurses can play in mental health within primary care to others, including General Practitioners, policy makers and other health professionals, the Standards provide an important framework for GPNs to assess their individual learning needs in terms of their knowledge and confidence to undertake the identified aspects of the nurses' role. The Australian College of Mental Health Nurses used the Standards to develop CPD eLearning modules and workshops specifically for primary care nurses. These professional development opportunities are targeted to build capacity in areas of practice that have been identified by the Standards as being appropriate for a general nurse in the primary care setting. Each activity empowers GPNs to develop knowledge, skills and confidence about mental health and incorporate these into their day-to-day practice. This has the potential to improve health outcomes as GPNs are empowered to intervene positively when people present to general practice with mental health issues.</p>

This research informed the development of professional practice standards to guide the role of nurses employed in general practices across Australia. These standards impact the profession in a number of ways. Firstly, they provide a framework for tertiary institutions to develop curricula and assess student performance. Secondly, they communicate the nurses’ scope of practice to other health professionals, stakeholders such as employers and consumers. Finally, they can be used to assess an individuals’ competence to practice either as part of regular renewals of practice certification, after breaks of service or in professional conduct disputes.<br /><br />Defining the full extent of the nurses’ scope of practice in general practice is a key strategy to reducing the role confusion and ambiguity that has been reported amongst this group of nurses. Providing clarity for health professionals, consumers, policy makers, academics and the nurses themselves provides a powerful tool to optimizing the nurses’ role in this setting. This has the potential to not only improve service delivery by ensuring that nurses work to their full scope of practice but also improve job satisfaction, recruitment and retention of nurses.

<p>General practice nurses (GPN) have a key front line role to play in providing integrated healthcare. It was identified that many GPN encounter people with mental health issues in their daily practice, however, the role of a general nurse in mental health was unclear. Providing role clarity by defining the GPNs scope of practice is a powerful tool to reduce role confusion and ambiguity, and optimize GPNs role in improving service delivery to patients. A team of primary care and mental health nurse academics from UOW was funded by the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, through the Department of Health, to develop mental health practice standards for GPNs. <br />In addition to communicating the role that general nurses can play in mental health within primary care to others, including General Practitioners, policy makers and other health professionals, the Standards provide an important framework for GPNs to assess their individual learning needs in terms of their knowledge and confidence to undertake the identified aspects of the nurses' role. The Australian College of Mental Health Nurses used the Standards to develop CPD eLearning modules and workshops specifically for primary care nurses. These professional development opportunities are targeted to build capacity in areas of practice that have been identified by the Standards as being appropriate for a general nurse in the primary care setting. Each activity empowers GPNs to develop knowledge, skills and confidence about mental health and incorporate these into their day-to-day practice. This has the potential to improve health outcomes as GPNs are empowered to intervene positively when people present to general practice with mental health issues.</p>

This research informed the development of professional practice standards to guide the role of nurses employed in general practices across Australia. These standards impact the profession in a number of ways. Firstly, they provide a framework for tertiary institutions to develop curricula and assess student performance. Secondly, they communicate the nurses’ scope of practice to other health professionals, stakeholders such as employers and consumers. Finally, they can be used to assess an individuals’ competence to practice either as part of regular renewals of practice certification, after breaks of service or in professional conduct disputes.<br /><br />Defining the full extent of the nurses’ scope of practice in general practice is a key strategy to reducing the role confusion and ambiguity that has been reported amongst this group of nurses. Providing clarity for health professionals, consumers, policy makers, academics and the nurses themselves provides a powerful tool to optimizing the nurses’ role in this setting. This has the potential to not only improve service delivery by ensuring that nurses work to their full scope of practice but also improve job satisfaction, recruitment and retention of nurses.