2.2 Benefits of employing a nurse/role
for the nurse in general practice
‘As a solo practitioner, I could not practice effectively without
my practice nurse. This has been a positive collaboration with
the nurse relieving me of many time consuming tasks, adding
positively to the practice bottom line and, by bringing a whole
set of complementary skills to mine, enhancing the services we
are able to provide. A must in the 21st century.’
Dr G.K. Victoria
There is a wide range of benefits for general practices that
employ a practice nurse. The needs of individual practices and
their patient population will shape the role/s a nurse will take on
within that particular practice team, however likely benefits for
any practice include:
• improvements in quality of care to patients
• improved work satisfaction for the GP/s
• additional support for the GP/s
• reduction in patient waiting times
• increased range of services offered at the practice
• increased capacity to adapt to change
• improved management of patients with chronic disease
• increased consumer satisfaction
• additional inducement to recruit new GPs.3
The unique way in which a practice may utilise nursing services can depend on a variety of factors, some of which include:
• size of the practice (large medical centre versus
smaller practice)
• patient demographics (older patients versus younger patient base, rates of chronic diseases, etc.)
• physical layout of the practice (room for a clinical treatment room versus small consult room only)
• experience and qualifications of the nurse (eg, registered
nurse with a postgraduate certificate in child and family
health or midwifery).
Practice nurses can take on one or more of the roles outlined
below. The roles listed here are used by the Australian General
Practice Network (AGPN) in its business case models (see 2.3
Financial and business implications), which demonstrate the
way in which nurse utilisation can affect the practice financially.
The clinical support role: involves undertaking clinical activities
with the purpose of more efficient use of GP time and extended
patient contact. Examples of activities under this role are: wound
care, immunisations, electrocardiographs (EC Gs), spirometry,
administration of medications/nebulisers, injections IM/IV,
assisting with minor operations, plastering (back slabs), etc.
The administrative/management role: involves managing clinical systems, recall and reminder systems, stock control,
equipment maintenance, infection control, sterilisation
and accreditation.
The EPC/CDM role: ranges from providing home health assessments to managing the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC)
and chronic disease management (CDM) system with patient
audit and recruitment, recall registers, diabetes and asthma
registers, and providing patient education.
The advanced primary care role: may involve the practice
nurse running specialty clinics such as: weight loss, women’s
health, incontinence, diabetes, asthma, antenatal care and well
baby checks. Nurses working at this level are required to have
post graduate qualifications in the area of specialty.
‘There is no doubt in my mind that my patients not only enjoy
the added professional input contributing to their care but
more importantly they benefit with better ongoing medical and
preventative care. I would recommend any general practitioner
to avail the support provided by a suitably qualified registered
nurse to themselves and their patients’.
Dr N.E., Tasmania
Potential roles for practice nurses have also been outlined
by the Department of Health and Ageing in a factsheet
reproduced below:4
Roles of the general practice nurse
The role of nurses in general practice includes, but is not limited to, the following elements of work:
• providing clinical nursing services in the general practice
context through:
— triage
— assessment (including health assessments of people
over 75 years)
— therapeutic care and treatment
— wound care
— diagnostic services
— clinical data management.
• coordinating patient services through:
— networking with allied services
— integrating service delivery
— sustaining continuity of care
— planning and management of care (working with GPs in
care planning activities)
— providing information and feedback between the
services, patients and GPs
— patient advocacy.
• managing the clinical environment by assisting the
general practice to meet relevant standards and legislative
requirements in:
— infection control and sterilisation
— cold chain monitoring
— records management
— occupational health and safety
— accreditation processes
— maintenance of medical supplies.
• promoting patient, carer and community well being through:
— health information
— education
— specific programs
— community development
— self care.
• sustaining general practice by contributing to better management of human and material resources through:
— optimising the use of professional resources
— building the practice base
— building practice capacity to adapt to change
— maximising financial efficiency.
• improving health outcomes by contributing to and enhancing the management and prevention of ill
health through:
— health screening
— immunisation
— register and recalls
— patient education
— outreach services
— systems management
— acute and chronic disease management.
Further information on how to maximise the nurse’s role in general practice can also be found in ‘Nursing in General Practice: a guide for the general practice team’, a resource
released by Royal College of Nursing, Australia (RCNA) in
January 2006, with assistance of the Department of Health and
Ageing ( http://www.rcna.org.au/pages/nsggp.php)
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