1.2 Practice nursing in Australia
Nursing in general practice is a dynamic and vibrant area of the
nursing profession. It offers a range of experiences and provides
the opportunity to be part of a small clinical team, meeting the
diverse primary care needs of the community. Nursing in general
practice is a shift from a hospital-based environment to a small
business environment located in the local community.
A practice nurse is a registered nurse or an enrolled nurse
(RN Division 1 and Division 2 in Victoria) who is employed by, or
whose services are otherwise retained by, a general practice.
More than 5,000 practice nurses are employed in general practice and more than half (57%) of general practices are
reported to employ a practice nurse, according to the AGPN
National Practice Nurse Workforce Survey 2006.
Practice nurses work in collaboration with general practitioners,
providing a range of services, including chronic disease
management and population health activities. Their role
is diverse and influenced by factors such as the practice
population, nurses’ qualifications, practice structure,
professional standards and national incentives and programs.
Nurses are core members of the general practice team, assisting practices to meet the diverse and complex health care
needs of an ageing population, with increasing rates of chronic
disease and illness.
This growing burden of chronic disease and patient demand has increased GP workloads. Nurses in general practice work with
GPs to provide efficient and effective health care to all patients.
A range of Australian and international literature identifies some of the benefits nurses can bring to a practice. These include:
• improved health outcomes in chronic illness2
• assistance in primary-acute sector integration
• better coordination of care
• increased workforce capacity
• provision of practical and professional support to GPs
• enhancement of the range of services available to people attending the practice.3
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