4.5 Resources and support available
The Australian Government supports the work of general
practice nurses through a range of programs. Information about
the role of the general practice nurse and information about the
programs supporting their work is outlined below.
Department of Health and Ageing
For more information on the practice nurse role, including
frameworks to describe the role, refer to the following
documents:
• Competency Standards for Nursing in General Practice
http://www.anf.org.au/nurses%5Fgp/
• Nursing in General Practice — a guide for the general practice
team
• http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pcd-programs-nursing-gpinfo.htm
• General Practice Nursing in Australia — by the Royal
Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and
Royal College of Nursing,
• Australia (RCNA)
http://www.rcna.org.au/pages/pracprojfinal.php
• AGPN National Practice Nurse Workforce Survey Report
2006 http://www.adgp.com.au/client_images/44225.pdf
Strengthening Medicare
In November 2003, as part of the Strengthening Medicare
package, the Australian Government announced funding
of $139.1 million over four years to support practices to
employ practice nurses. Of this funding, $79.5 million over
four years is to assist practices to employ practice nurses in
urban areas of workforce shortage. This initiative also enables
practices to employ allied health workers such as dieticians,
physiotherapists and speech pathologists instead of, or in
addition to, a practice nurse.
By May 2006, 640 practices were participating in the PIP Urban Practice Nurse Initiative, which is available in urban areas of
workforce shortage.
Medicare rebates are also available where practice nurses
provide immunisation ,wound management services, and Pap
smears, on behalf of a general practitioner.
As at 31 March 2006, approximately 5.8 million claims for
immunisation, wound management and Pap smear services
had been received attracting benefits of $56.7 million.
Refer to the following links for more information:
Practice Nurses and/or Allied Health Workers for Urban Areas
of Workforce Shortage MBS items for Immunisation and Wound
Management services provided by a practice nurse
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/health-medicare-health_pro-gp-fact02.htm
MBS Items for Pap smear services provided by a practice nurse
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/872859CC76E0DDD7CA256F19003CB2FB/$File/MBS%20items%20for%20Pap%20smears%20&%20preventive%20checks%20-%20Nov%2006.pdf
Additional Practice Nurses for Rural Australia and
Other Areas of Need Budget Measure
Through the 2001–02 and 2005–06 Federal Budgets, the Australian Government has provided funding of $234 million
over eight years to improve access to medical services for
patients in rural Australia and other areas of need by providing
support for general practitioners to employ practice nurses.
The measure includes funding for practice nurse training and
professional support as well as an incentive through the Practice
Incentives Program (PIP) for eligible general practices in rural
and remote areas to employ practice nurses. As at May 2006,
more than 1,100 rural practices were participating in the PIP
Rural Practice Nurse Initiative.
Refer to the following link for more information: Additional Practice Nurses for Rural Australia and Other Areas of Need.
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pcd-programs-nursing-budget.htm
Practice nurses as referral points for people
experiencing domestic violence
In the 2005–06 Budget the government announced its $75.7 million commitment to continue to take a lead role
in eliminating domestic violence and sexual assault in the
Australian Community. Through the Women’s Safety Agenda
practice nurses in regional and rural areas will receive training to
assist them to identify and respond to domestic violence. GPs
will receive assistance to release the nurses for this training.
This will give people in regional areas access to a personal
and confidential referral service. For more information on
the Women’s Safety Agenda see the Australian Government
Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous
Affairs (FaCS IA). http://www.ofw.facs.gov.au/womens_safety_agenda/index.htm
Practice nurse immunisation, wound management
and Pap smear scholarships
The Australian Government has provided $1 million over two years (2004–05 and 2005–06) to the Australian Practice Nurses
Association in partnership with the Australian General Practice
Network to administer a Practice Nurses Scholarship Scheme,
to support practice nurses in accessing training in wound
management, immunisation and the provision of pap smears.
For more information see the. http://www.apna.asn.au/site/index.cfm
Falls prevention and assessment education
Under the National Fall Prevention for Older People Initiative, the Department has funded Royal College of Nursing, Australia
(RCNA) to develop a national falls prevention and assessment
education program for general practice nurses.
More information on this project can be found on the RCNA
website http://www.rcna.org.au/pages/fallsproj.php More
information on the National Falls Prevention for Older People
Initiative http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-injury-falls-index.htm can be
found
at this link.
Related links include:
• Practice Nurse Immunisation Wound Management and Pap Smear Scholarships http://www.apna.asn.au/site/index.cfm
• Practice Nurse Falls Prevention and Assessment Education
http://creweb001.cre8ive.com.au/www.rcna.org.au/pages/fallsproj.php
The above can also be found at:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/pcd-nursing-index
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