4th Annual Nursing in General Practice (NiGP) Forum

17-18 February 2010.
Attended by Connie Ryan, AGPN

One hundred and thirty five delegates from the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) local network offices around the country attended this event, which is the only time of year when network nurses meet as a whole.

This was my first attendance at an AGPN NiGP Forum, and I was delighted to experience the enthusiastic atmosphere and high levels of commitment to the goals of the NiGP Program.

The enthusiasm was most evident in the small group work sessions when participants talked openly about the projects they were working on locally. This was also the first time that the NiGP Innovative Grants Projects had been showcased.

All projects were well received and next year the participants will deliver final reports on these projects.

The highlight of the Forum was the launch of the on-line version of the Orientation Program: Nurses New to General Practice by AGPN Chair Dr Emil Djakic. This program is aimed at assisting Practice Nurses in the first 12 months of their appointment. The on-line version <http://generalpracticenursing.com.au/division-nursing-in-general-practice-support-officer-orientation-manual> caters for nurses unable to travel to the workshops and nurses from rural and remote practices.

Dr Grant Russell, who worked in Canada, shared his experience of the Canadian Health System. Practice Nurses have an expanded role in Canada and Dr Russell was pleased to see how that expanded role has begun taking place in Australia.

Dr Christine Murphy, National Nursing Registration Board, reviewed the plans for the national registration for health professionals that will begin on 1 July 2010 and took time to answer questions relating to change anxiety in the profession.

Assoc Professor Libby Kalucy, Director of the Primary Health Care Research and Information Service, presented a practical approach to report writing, and encouraged nurses to understand the importance of their reports within the health care system.

Dr Lucio Naccarella, Australian Health Workforce Institute, The University of Melbourne, addressed evaluation as one of the key elements in quality control.

Their presentations can be viewed at <http://generalpracticenursing.com.au/nursing-in-general-practice-forum-2010>

If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact me on 02 6228 0820 or refer to the AGPN website at: <www.agpn.com.au>