A series of guides have been launched to help map the ‘scope of practice’ of nursing staff in primary care within diabetes, menopause and heart failure care.
Those behind the project said the new resources represent ‘a significant step forward’ in supporting the professional development of general practice nursing teams.
Skills for Health and NHS England have created a set of six clinical and educational resources to be used by teams to help match the levels of practice of their nursing staff to the correct roles and responsibilities.
It is designed to support the General Practice Nursing Core Career and Capabilities Framework – launched in 2022 to set out details of six career levels for general practice nurses (GPNs).
The framework outlines the skills and knowledge required for each level of practice including: support worker, nursing associate, registered nurse, enhanced level, advanced level and consultant level of practice.
This month, Skills for Health and NHS England have released three documents which should be used as a ‘comprehensive guide’ to help teams apply the career and capabilities framework.
These initial three cover diabetes, menopause and heart failure, with three more covering respiratory, wound care and cancer expected to be published later this year.
Across these key clinical areas, the documents set out the qualifications, skills, application of knowledge and scope of practice of the six different nursing roles within primary care.
They also include context and background to each clinical area, and stress the importance of continuing access to education for GPNs.
The issue of professional development for GPNs was raised during a recent Nursing in Practice roundtable, in which attendees described the ‘hit and miss’ nature of opportunities.
In a foreword to the new guides, published last week, national deputy director for community nursing and primary care nursing at NHS England, Paul Vaughan said the resources have been ‘carefully aligned with our published frameworks for general practice, primary care, and wider community nursing teams, ensuring they are relevant, practical, and directly supportive of your professional journey’.
‘The resources have been developed by expert, generalist and specialist nursing teams across England, reflecting a collaborative effort to provide quality tools that align with the defined scope of nursing practice,’ he said.
Mr Vaughan added: ‘The creation of these clinical and educational resources represents a significant step forward in supporting the professional development of general practice and community nursing teams.
‘These resources are designed to be practical and accessible, enabling busy nursing teams to integrate them into their daily practice.
‘My hope is that they will not only enhance your skills and knowledge but also positively impact the care you provide to the communities you serve.’
He thanked NHS England’s national primary care nursing lead Louise Brady ‘for her leadership in this important work’.
‘I also extend my gratitude to the NHS England regional teams and nursing colleagues for their invaluable contributions and to colleagues at Skills for Health with their ongoing support for our work in this space,’ he added.
Note: This article was changed and updated on 30 September to correct that a series of guides have been launched to support the General Practice Nursing Core Career and Capabilities Framework, and not the framework itself.
