Practices without nurses say ‘lack of candidates’ is main barrier

GP practices that do not currently employ any nurses have said a ‘lack of candidates’ is the main barrier preventing their hire, according to new research.

The findings come as part of the ‘Leading the Way’: The role and value of nurses in general practice in England report, published by the consultancy group Sonnet Advisory and Impact CIC on behalf of NHS England (NHSE).

The report included a survey of 11 practices that do not hire any general practice nurses (GPNs).

Almost three quarters (73%) of these GP practices agreed that a ‘lack of suitable candidates’ was the main reason they did not hire any nurses, with the second biggest reason being that candidates interviewed for the position were ‘not the right fit’.

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Opportunities for improvement

Out of the 11 practices surveyed, nine said that they did ‘have a need’ for nurses – suggesting that they were unwillingly without GPNs.

Chief executive of Sonnet Advisory, Jim Clifford, told Nursing in Practice that misconceptions of what nurses do prevents students and new nurses from applying to practice placements and posts.

‘There is still this message that, “you don’t want to go and work in general practice, because you’ll lose all your skills” and yet, the evidence from the general practices is that you’re more likely to increase your skills across a hugely wide array,’ said Mr Clifford.

‘You’ve got other medical professionals in the practice, but essentially, you’re there in a consulting room dealing with whoever comes in the door, so you’ve got to have this hugely wide range of knowledge, so the scaling up is considerable.’

The report is the third in a series that looked at the experiences and value of GPNs over the last few years.

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The most recent instalment highlighted how GPNs are ‘the backbone’ of primary care but that their contributions remain a ‘well-kept secret’.

Ruth Colbeck lead general practice nurse for West Leeds Primary Care Network, said she encourages nurses into primary care via a ‘two-pronged approach’ which focuses on students and nurse leadership.

She supports nurses working in general practice in her local area and says it is important to have nurses in leadership and managerial roles in order to promote nurses entering primary care.

In addition, she highlighted the importance of regularly liaising with universities and community educators to improve student and new nurse placements and training in primary care.

Rhian Last is a nurse educator and author of ‘A Nurse’s Survival Guide to General Practice Nursing’ and says some universities have found it ‘very, very difficult to engage with practices in order to arrange placements’ and sees financial pressures as a key reason for this.

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She also stressed the importance of having ‘enablers in primary care’ to highlight the value of general practice nursing, and to encourage nurses into the profession.

‘It would be great for the general practice nursing team at NHS England now to start engaging with [the new chief nursing officer] Duncan Burton and for him to learn all about what general practice nursing is all about, and to raise the profile that way would be hugely important.’