Practice nurses have an interesting and exciting role in primary care as they often provide the first point of contact for people seeking health services. Practice nurses are highly trained nurses who work with GPs and others in primary care practices. They provide a range of services including:
- Immunisations
- Wound care
- Long term condition management
- Community liaison
- Counselling
- Sexual health consults
- Laboratory procedures
- Emergency care
- Infection control
- Cryotherapy
- Cervical smear taking
- ECG
- Minor surgery
- IV therapy
- Nursing assessments
- Telephone advice
- Health promotion
- Immigration checks
- Well Child checks
- And more...
Key skills required for Practice Nursing
- Comprehensive history taking and assessment skills are a fundamental part of the practice nurse role.
- Good communication skills are particularly important as practice nurses are often the first point of contact within the health team.
- Patient advocacy skills are vital as the practice nurse will often be called upon to liaise with others about patient care.
- Intermediate computer skills are desirable as almost all practices have computerised records, and use several databases/tools.
- It is important to have excellent time management skills and be well organised. A practice nurse’s day is busy and often involves the unexpected.
- Resourcefulness is important as practice nurses often have to think ‘outside the square’.
- Being a team player makes working in a small team easier and more rewarding for everyone.
- IMPORTANT: enthusiasm for ongoing learning. It is essential that practice nurses keep up to date and that their skills and knowledge remain evidence informed and current.
Support from Pegasus Health
The Nursing team provides professional and clinical leadership to the nurses within the organisation, the 24 Hour Surgery, and the general practice nursing workforce. The Nursing team support also includes:
- Orientation for all nurses employed in a Pegasus Health general practice
- Introduction to Practice Nursing course
- Nursing Entry to Practice Programme (NETP) and Professional Development & Recognition Programme (PDRP)
- Clinical skills training
- Ongoing professional support and educational opportunities to all Pegasus practice nurses.
Practice Nurses attend peer-led, evidence informed education sessions promoting clinical best practice provided by the Clinical Quality and Education team.
Other training available for practice nurses includes:
- B4 School Check training
- Te Tiriti O Waitangi
- Interpreter workshops
- Diabetes fundamentals
Download our Introduction to Practice Nursing brochure (PDF)
Introduction to Practice Nursing Seminars
Pegasus Health offers ‘Introduction to Practice Nursing’ seminars. These seminars are designed for nurses and BN students who want to find out about career opportunities in Pegasus Health PHO affiliated General Practice, or the 24 Hour Surgery.
The three-hour seminars are usually held twice a year and there is no charge to attend. However, there is no plans to hold these seminars for 2024.
Any queries should be forwarded to nursingteam@pegasus.health.nz