4.2 The Nursing in General Practice
Program
The Australian Government has been supporting the work of
practice nurses through a range of programs.
In its 2001–2002 Federal Budget, the Australian Government
provided funding of $104.3 million over four years for incentives to encourage general practices in rural areas and other areas
of high workforce needs to employ more nurses. The practice
nurse initiative had three components:
1. a Practice Incentive Payment (PIP) to encourage eligible practices to employ more nurses
2. funding for the provision of ongoing training and support of all nurses working in general practice
3. a Scholarship Scheme to support nurses to re-enter the
workforce, and to provide funding for nurses currently
employed to
— refresh their
skills.
Additional initiatives were introduced in 2004 as part of the government’s Strengthening Medicare package, including:
• two new MBS items for services provided by general
practice nurses for and on behalf of a general practitioner for
immunisation and
• wound care services
• extension of the PIP practice nurse incentive to general
practices in urban areas of workforce shortage
• an additional MBS item for Pap smears taken by practice
nurses in regional, rural or remote areas.
The 2005–06 Federal Budget included two measures that contained components that together form the Australian
Government’s Nursing in General Practice Training and Support
Initiative (‘the Initiative’).
These components include:
• $15.6 million (GST -exclusive) over four years for training and professional support for practice nurses under the Additional
Practice Nurses
• for Rural Australia and Other Areas
of Need Measure (a continuation of the 2001 Federal
Budget measure)
• $2.6 million (GST -exclusive) over four years to facilitate
access to training and provide support for nurses in
regional and rural areas to be
• points of referral for people
experiencing domestic violence, as part of the $75.7
million Women’s Safety Agenda managed by the
• Australian Government Department of Families, Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs (FaCS IA).
The key project for the Initiative in 2005–09 is the continuation of the Divisions Network Nursing in General Practice (NiGP)
Program led by the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN)
in conjunction with state based organisations (SBOs).
The objectives for the Nursing in General Practice Program are to:
1. build the capacity of divisions to deliver support services for nursing in general practice, in particular to recruit and retain
nurses in
— general practice
2. broker, coordinate and fund education and professional development opportunities for nurses in general practice in
collaboration with
— divisions across each state and territory.
The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging has
established guidelines that set out how the NiGP Program is
funded and how it will operate. (The program started in March
2005 however these guidelines refer to the period March 2006
to June 2009.)To find out more about the Guidelines for the
Division Network Nursing In General Practice program go to
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/content/health-pcd-prog-guidelines-nursing-genprac
Further information regarding all these initiatives can be found
on the Department of Health and Ageing website at Nursing
in General Practice. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pcd-programs-nursing-index.htm
Some of the key achievements for the AGPN in the leadership and support for the NiGP Program, and the continued role in
provision of policy advice and promotion of the practice nurse
role include:
• publication of the National Practice Nurse Workforce Survey Report 2006, the only comprehensive national information
and statistics
• regarding the general practice nursing
workforce. The survey results revealed a 23% increase in
the number of practice nurses employed
• in general practice
2003-2005 (n=4924), with 57% of general practices
nationally employing one or more nurses.
• preparation of a position statement on the Nurse Practitioner
in General Practice endorsed by the network, in response
to discussions
• surrounding alternate models for health care
workers. AGPN supports the role for nurse practitioners in
the general practice setting, where
• the nurse practitioner
works collaboratively with the GP and general practice team
to enhance patient care.
• contribution to an expert working group convened by the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute, to
develop the common pool
• indicators for divisions on nursing
in general practice.
• revision of the Business Case Models for Nursing in General Practice to reflect the introduction of the practice nurse and
new chronic
• disease Medicare items.
• lobbying for the introduction of additional Medicare items for services provided by practice nurses on behalf of the GP,
the extension of the
• Practice Incentives Program practice
nurse payment to all practices, and the introduction of
infrastructure grants to assist practices to
• accommodate
additional team members.
• hosting a national forum for divisions for nursing in general practice, to showcase nationally relevant NiGP initiatives
and models, share
• knowledge, skills and resources, and
coach and collaborate with divisions to build their capacity
to support Nursing in General Practice.
• production of a range of promotional material for general practice nursing including posters and information
brochures for consumers,
• practices and other nurses.
• provision of a Leadership and Development Program for practice nurses delivered through the University of
New E ngland.
• participation in a collaborative research project with
the Australian National University to examine the role of
nurses in general practice and
• identify ways of expanding
or changing these roles to enhance primary health
care delivery.
• promotion of the nursing in general practice program nationally and internationally through conference
presentations, media articles and
• the establishment of
networks with other key stakeholders.
• provision of expertise to other national general practice nursing projects including the development of competency
standards for nurses in
• general practice, the revision of the
Royal College of Nursing Australia guide for the general
practice team, and the scholarship program
• for practice
nurses administered by the Australian Practice
Nurses Association.
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