Nursing in primary care

“There has never been a more exciting time for nurses to work in primary care.” This wonderful statement came from a GPN working in the East of England who qualified and started working in primary care as a practice nurse in 2017.

Within five years and through support from her practice and local training hub, she developed her leadership skills and took up the early careers GPN clinical lead role within her local integrated care board. She now works two days a week in her clinical lead role and three days a week as a GPN, providing her with a rich and varied week.

This story is not unique in the world of general practice nursing, primary care offers a rich environment in which nurses can develop their skills. These can be clinical, such as becoming a diabetes specialist, and non-clinical such as growing as a leader both within their practice, primary care network or wider integrated care system.

So, what makes now such a particularly exciting time for nurses to work in primary care?

The last eighteen months have seen incredible changes in the NHS from the formation of integrated care boards aimed at removing siloed working between general practice, secondary and community care, to the publishing of the Fuller Stocktake report which places primary care firmly at the centre of these changes and empowers staff to innovate and enact changes in their local areas. GPNs are central to realising this work.

“Practice nursing is a fantastic career for nurses! There are vast opportunities to extend our skills and knowledge… We work independently, but always have an amazing team around to support us. The hours are more sociable and allow us to have a life outside of work. I love being a practice nurse and cannot imagine doing anything else.”  – Nurse, BLMK

by Helen Worthington-Smith & Kirsty Shanley