Queen’s Nursing Institute survey of GP nurses

The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) launched a major new report on general practice nursing on Monday 18 January. The report is based on an online survey completed by over 3,400 General Practice Nurses (GPNs) during 2015.

‘General Practice Nursing in the 21st Century: A Time of Opportunity’ summarises some of the key challenges affecting the profession today. It is the largest and most up to date survey of GPNs, and the first carried out by the community nursing charity.

Dr Crystal Oldman, QNI Chief Executive commented on the implications of the report for London:

“Our survey shows the huge range of healthcare carried out by nurses in GP practices. The management of long term conditions is particularly important in London because the capital has some of the highest rates of deprivation and the lifestyle factors that tend to accompany it.

“We also noted that GP practices in London are significantly less likely than elsewhere to offer placements for nursing students. Nationally the figure was around 27%, but in London only 19%. High quality student placements are a vital means of attracting new nurses into roles in primary care, and London students deserve this opportunity.”

Dr Oldman, went on to look at the broader findings of the report:

“This survey validates the role of the General Practice Nurse and the support provided by nurses in General Practice at every point during a person’s life, from infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood, to middle and older age. They are a vital part of the healthcare system in every part of the UK.

“The findings of the survey indicate some major challenges and opportunities which need to be addressed. The role of nurses in General Practice is expanding rapidly, and many of today’s nurses are now undertaking roles traditionally the reserve of GPs. There is a huge opportunity for increased investment in the General Practice Nurse workforce, to build the capacity of primary care, move more care to the community and closer to people’s own homes, and ease the pressures on A&E.”

“The survey findings will be useful to policy makers and workforce planners as they explore new models of care and meet the challenges of an older population with multiple and complex healthcare needs. The number of nurses planning to retire should be of major concern and we need to ensure that enough nurses are attracted to the profession so that patients can continue to receive high quality nursing care for themselves and their families when they attend the GP’s surgery.”

Headline findings of the survey

Note: these figures were corrected on 21 January 2016, having been mis-transcribed when the page was first published on 20 January.

Workforce

33.4% of General Practice Nurses are due to retire by 2020
Men are under-represented, comprising only 2.0% of the General Practice Nurse workforce
43.1% did not feel their nursing team has the right number of appropriately qualified and trained staff to meet the needs of patients
At the time of the survey, 78.8% had considered preparation for NMC re-validation

Education

53.0% reported that their employer always supports their professional development
10.6% hold an NMC recordable specialist practice qualification in General Practice Nursing
32.6% of General Practice Nurses are independent prescribers
Just 27.0% of the employers offered placements for pre-registration nursing students, compared to 61.5% offering placements to medical students

Employment

22.8% of nurses working in General Practice have two jobs
32.6% of General Practice Nurses reported working evening sessions (after 6pm) and 18.5% work weekends
Over 38.3% indicated that they undertook visits to patients at home
Only 35% felt that their salary reflected their role within the practice
Salary and other terms and conditions such as annual leave entitlement vary widely

Last updated : 21 Jan 2016

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