Frances Baverstock is the primary care nurse lead at Betsi Cadwaldr Health Board in Wales and a member of the Royal College of Nursing’s (RCN) General Practice Nurse (GPN) Forum. She shares her views on work needed to bring more student and newly qualified nurses into general practice, following an emergency debate on the shortage of roles for newly registered nurses at RCN Congress last week.
A first destination career
I would like to talk to you, and especially our student nursing colleagues, to consider general practice as a first destination career.
In England and Wales, up to one-in-two nursing posts are predicted to be unfiled in general practice by 2030. In Wales specifically, primary care is ‘at risk’ due to an ageing general practice workforce, with 20% of general practice nurses over 60 years old. This is also reflected internationally.
I have met many student nurses and qualified nurses who assume or have been told, that they are unable to pursue a career in general practice as they need to have at least two years’ experience in secondary care. This is untrue.
Students are also told that they will be deskilled if they work in general practice. This is also untrue.
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There are many opportunities to bring newly qualified nurses into general practice. In Wales, we have an exceptional programme supported by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and Bangor University. Newly appointed nurses are funded to study on a postgraduate course at level 6, and employers are financially remunerated for your and your supervisor’s time.
Upskilling in general practice
We, at the RCN GPN Forum, would like to stress that you will not be deskilled if you enter general practice.
You will become a skilled autonomous nurse in immunisations, preventative health, long term conditions support, wound care, cancer support, prescribing, care planning, and advanced autonomous clinical skills, with a clear progression pathway.
I am here to dispel those myths and call all student nurses to explore general practice as a first destination career. We welcome newly qualified nurses in our general practices across the UK.
Those of you who work in general practice, I urge you to host student nurses within your practice, to share your knowledge, skills and experience.
It’s about showcasing the progression available in the general practice profession and dispelling myths.
Having newly qualified nurses in general practice also brings a fresh approach that can stop nursing teams from getting stuck in their ways. It’s nice to have someone questioning senior practitioners in a professional, constructive way.
General practice gives nurses the opportunity to continually update their clinical skills and knowledge, and then you’ve also got the leadership and management side of things.
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If you’re working within a practice you can start to shape the way the practice works, lead a team, or lead on infection control.
Within a big organisation like a trust or a health board, you don’t get as much exposure to these areas, because someone else will do that part of that. There’s so much more you can do as a leader in your practice.
An extended family
Working in general practice enables nurses to get to know their patients, to really understand their emotional, social, psychological and cultural needs. You can plan care around these needs and work as part of their network.
You’re part of their extended family, in a way. You can really make a difference, and be a key part of a person’s life in a very positive way.
The future of general practice nursing
One-third of general practice nurses are over 55 and due to retire in the next few years.
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We’re losing such a skilled workforce, and we need the GPNs still in post to train up our new nurses.
These jobs are out there. Please come and talk to myself and my GPN forum colleagues, visit the forum webpage, or attend one of our monthly webinars. about how you can enter the profession.
Frances Baverstock is the primary care nurse lead at Betsi Cadwaldr Health Board. Prior to this she worked as the clinical governance lead at Plas Menai Health Centre, Llanfairfechan. She has worked in general practice nursing for over thirty years.
