Nursing in General Practice: still some way to go

Abstract

A number of barriers and facilitators to an expanded role for practice nurses have been identified. These include legal and funding issues related to the lack of a system-level model, poor role definition for practice nurses, lack of space available in general practices and GP attitudes. Inter-professional issues, medico-legal concerns and a poorly defined scope of practice need to be addressed while a defined educational and career pathway for practice nursing to attract nurses to general practice is needed.