Barriers to practice nursing identified

Soon-to-be-published results from an Ipsos Mori poll for NHS England have identified the barriers that stop nursing students going into general practice nursing.

According to Karen Storey, lead nurse at Health Education England for the primary and community care workforce, the ‘imminent’ results of the survey, mainly of nursing students but also of lecturers and practice nurses, show four perceptions of GP nursing:

• It is for mature and experienced nurses.
• There is a lack of clarity around the role, even among tutors and staff.
• Placements in general practice is rare.
• It is seen as a ‘risky choice’ for newly qualified nurses.

The ‘risky choice’, she explained, at the Best Practice in Nursing conference, in Birmingham, related to the lack of formal arrangements for preceptorship for newly registered nurses, as well as for pay, training and levels of practical support.