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Resources for registered nurses in general practice
Core competency unit 1
Practises in accordance with legislation affecting nursing practice and health care.
- Nurse regulatory authorities which have links to the legislation relevant to nurses
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- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council's Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia
Visit website
Use contemporary textbooks to provide an overview of the law relating to nursing such as:
- Staunton P and Chiarella M 2003 Nursing and the law 5th edition Churchill Livingstone Sydney; and
- Wallace M 2001 Health care and the law 3rd edition The Law Book Company Sydney
Core competency unit 2
Practises within a professional and ethical nursing framework.
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council's Code of Ethics
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- Privacy principles which apply to health service providers
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Core competency unit 4
Participates in ongoing professional development of self and others.
Core competency unit 7
Provides comprehensive, safe and effective evidence–based nursing care to achieve identified individual/group health outcomes.
- Standards for general practice prepared by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners which are a tool that can be used to review the general practice
View PDF file
- Project information for The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is developing a quality framework for general practice
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- The Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Healthcare
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- The Institute for Healthcare Improvement
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- The Therapeutic Goods Authority for information on issues such as the re-use of medical equipment
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- The National Health and Medical Research Council which publishes clinical guidelines and other useful materials
Visit website
Competency standards for registered nurses in general practice competency unit 1.1
Practices based on primary, preventative care or early intervention health care approaches.
Primary health care is defined in the World Health Organisation's Declaration of Alma-Ata (1978) as:
Primary health care is essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford to maintain at every stage of their development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination. It forms an integral part both of the country's health system, of which it is the central function and main focus, and of the overall social and economic development of the community. It is the first level of contact of individuals, the family and community with the national health system bringing health care as close as possible to where people live and work, and constitutes the first element of a continuing health care process.
- The Declaration of Alma-Ata
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- The Primary Health Care Research and Information Service provides some discussion about primary health care and primary care in general practice
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Competency standards for registered nurses in general practice competency 1.2
Practices in accordance with nursing and general practice standards, codes, guidelines, legislation and regulation.
- Nurse regulatory authorities for standards, codes, guidelines, legislation and regulation relevant to nursing
View directory
- The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners for information about standards for general practice
Visit website
- The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing provide information about guidelines, legislation and regulation relevant to general practice
Visit website
- The Health Insurance Commission provide guidelines on Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Visit website
- State and territory health departments for information about their guidelines, legislation and regulation relevant to general practice
- The Office of the Australian Privacy Commissioner provide information about the Privacy Principles and the principles relevant to health care providers such as general practices
Visit website
- The Australian Government's communicable diseases website including links to state and territory sites relating to the management of communicable disease
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- The Australian Government Department of Veteran's Affairs
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- The National Health and Medical Research Council provide information and guidelines for health research
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- The Australian Government's consumer website outlines a range of preventative health care strategies available for older people in Australia
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- The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing provides range of guidelines and other resources in a range of areas such as asthma and diabetes
Visit website
Competency standards for registered nurses in general practice competency 1.3
Actively seek out opportunities and resources to manage professional isolation.
Join a professional nursing organisation such as:
- Australian Practice Nurses Association
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- Australian Nursing Federation
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- Royal College of Nursing Australia
Visit website
- The National Nursing Organisations website provides a list of other professional nursing organisations that may be relevant to your scope of nursing practice
Visit website
Competency standards for registered nurses in general practice competency 1.4
Recognises the need for ongoing education and training to maintain competence for nursing practice.
Step 1
Annually prepare a professional development plan following completion of the self-assessment against the competency standards.
Step 2
Depending on the assessment you may choose to expand your skills and knowledge in nursing in the general practice setting using a range of education opportunities such as:
- Reading professional journals;
- Reviewing resources such as legislation, regulations, national guidelines and standards;
- Completing a short-course eg diabetes education or health assessments;
- Commencing a post-graduate course relevant to nursing in a primary health care setting;
- Attending a conference;
- Researching and writing a piece for a journal or newsletter on an area of interest or expertise; and/or
- Working with a professional expert.
Information on formal and informal education opportunities can be found in a number of places including:
- Australian Practice Nurses Association
Visit website
- Australian Nursing Federation website provides information on events or check the calendar in the Australian Nursing Journal
Visit website
- The College of Nursing (incorporating the NSW College of Nursing)
Visit website
- Australian Divisions of General Practice
Visit website
Universities offer a range of post-graduate courses and you can do an internet search of universities in your state or territory and make contact with the post-graduate student adviser to discuss the options offered by that education provider.
Links to some universities that provide education that may be useful for nurses in general practice. These sites are only provided as a starting point to assist you to find further education that meets your needs:
- Graduate certificate in nursing (general practice) at Monash University
Visit website
- Postgraduate certificate in health science (practice nursing) at Auckland University of Technology. (Note that this course is provided by a university in New Zealand.)
Visit website
- Griffith University
Visit website
- Queensland University of Technology
Visit website
- University of Adelaide
Visit website
- University of Technology Sydney
Visit website
The vocational education and training sector offers a range of units of competency that may meet your needs eg assessment and workplace training and business systems (contact your local technical college or TAFE or visit the National Training Information Service website for information including access to the registered training providers in your state or territory).
Membership of a professional nursing organisation will also give you access to other information on continuing education as well as peers who can provide you with their perspective on education that they have completed or are undertaking.
Competency standards for registered nurses in general practice competency 2.4
Provides evidence based information, resources and education to assist individuals, groups and families to make health care decisions.
- The National Health and Medical Research Council publishes clinical guidelines and other useful materials
Visit website
- The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing has a range of guidelines and other resources in a range of areas such as asthma, diabetes and immunisation
Visit website
Other useful links include:
Competency standards for registered nurses in general practice competency
3.3 Demonstrates proficiency in the use of information management technology and systems to inform clinical care management.
There are short courses available in many areas and the vocational education and training sector also has a range of courses that may meet your needs (contact your local technical college or TAFE or visit the National Training Information Service website for information including access to the registered training providers in your state or territory).
Some ANF branches offer computer courses
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