Experienced general practice nurses

With further training and experience, practice nurses can apply for more senior roles, such as senior practice nurse/nurse practitioner and advanced nurse practitioner positions. It is also possible to become a clinical director of a primary care network. These roles mean a lot more autonomy and you will be able to manage your own caseloads. You could also move into education, management, teaching or clinical research. This page provides more information on training and development opportunities in General Practice Nursing.

To maintain your registration to practise with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, you’ll need to go through the process of revalidation. The process is straightforward and will help you as a nurse or midwife to demonstrate that you practise safely and effectively. You will have to revalidate every three years to renew your registration.

Find out more about revalidation on the NMC revalidation website.

Senior Practice Nurses focus on working with patients with long term conditions and providing preventative healthcare to the local community. They provide aspects of care previously carried out by GPs.

Senior Practice Nurses are usually be trained to a minimum of degree level. Training would cover consultation skills, physical assessment, diagnosis, safe prescribing, research and health promotion. Your role would span aspects of nursing and medicine enabling you to treat the patient appropriately.

Some Senior Practice Nurse with specific training and education provide minor illness and/or telephone triage services. You’ll work collaboratively with the general practice team to meet the needs of patients, support the delivery of policy and procedures and provide leadership as required.

Health Education England’s Education and Career Framework for general practice and district nursing offers more detailed information on the development opportunities in general practice nursing.

As well as providing the care that a nurse practitioner is able to offer, advanced nurse practitioners (ANP) will have a prescribing qualification and master’s level training.

A qualified ANP is also able to:

  • take a full patient history
  • carry out any physical examinations
  • use their knowledge to identify a likely diagnosis
  • request appropriate tests to aid diagnosis (blood tests, x-rays, scans)
  • refer patients to an appropriate specialist (in the practice or hospital)
  • prescribe medicines and non-medical treatments
  • arrange follow up and ongoing management

Some nurses also decide to do into service management (such as the clinical director of a primary care network or clinical academic research.

Health Education England’s Education and Career Framework for general practice and district nursing offers more detailed information on the development opportunities in general practice nursing.

Nurse Managers help patients by managing the nurses who care for them, drawing together patient experience and the coordination of the multidisciplinary team. They can also play an important role in providing staff with learning and development opportunities. In senior leadership roles, nurse leaders may be involved in managing services or operations, or in commissioning.

It’s not only about having line management responsibilities, you can act as a role model by exhibiting excellent values and behaviours, inspiring others, leading on change and implementing best practice.

If you enjoy situations where you can take the lead, and like the idea of motivating a team, you may want to consider a leadership role. Leaders use all their resources to make best use of the efforts and ideas of every member of staff. They should be willing to work with change and uncertainty in the spirit of co-operation and respect.

Health Education England’s Education and Career Framework for general practice and district nursing offers more detailed information on the development opportunities in general practice nursing.

In the NHS, the healthcare leadership model is made up of nine different leadership dimensions, which can help you explore the ways in which you might already be acting as a leader, or inspire you to develop and grow your leadership skills.

The 9 dimensions of the NHS leadership model include:

  • Inspiring shared purpose
  • Leading with care
  • Evaluating information
  • Connecting the service
  • Sharing the vision
  • Engaging the team
  • Holding to account
  • Developing capability
  • Influencing for results

Download the NHS Healthcare Leadership model.

The Royal College of Nursing provides some examples from the model that may inspire you to develop and grow your leadership skills.

The NHS North West Leadership Academy (NHS NWLA) empowers people in the North West to secure better health, care and wellbeing outcomes through leadership. Within the system and across diverse communities – they work to develop compassionate leaders and the conditions for inclusive, future focused leadership.

NHS NWLA is a member-led NHS organisation, which has been operating since 2007. By operating a membership model, they move in pace with members, are open to new approaches and engage with uncertainty together. Learn more at: https://www.nwacademy.nhs.uk/ and view the calendar of events here: https://www.nwacademy.nhs.uk/whats-on

The Royal College of Nursing offers suite of bespoke leadership development programmes to help Nurses to lead positive and effective change. For individuals beginning their leadership career, to experienced leaders wishing to refine specific skills.

Find out more about the Royal College of Nursing Leadership programmes.

It is free to join the Nurses in Management and Leadership forum led by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). You can help shape the future of nurse leaders or get support from your peers in the dedicated Facebook group.

Find out more about the RCN leadership forum.