Practice Nursing

WentWest provides support to general practice through resources, education and practice visits on Practice Nursing. WentWest offers support to practice nurses through orientation, continuing professional development, and using a multidisciplinary approach to general practice services. WentWest also provides support and assistance to practices that are interested in employing a nurse.

Practice Nurse Incentive Program (PNIP)

From 1st January 2012, current practice nurse funding arrangements will be replaced by the Practice Nurse Incentive Program (PNIP). The PNIP consolidates the current Practice Incentive Program (PIP) Practice Nurse Incentive and six of the MBS practice nurse items.

The PNIP has been designed to consolidate practice nurse funding arrangements into a simplified, single funding stream and will support an expanded and enhanced role for nurses in general practice working with GPs providing comprehensive patient care.

The PNIP replaces the PNI PIP and practice nurse item numbers for:

• Immunisation (10993)
• Wound management (10996)
• Cervical Screening (10994, 10995, 10998, 10999)

Practice nurse items retained:

• Practice nurse follow up services after a care plan (10997)
• Practice nurse Healthy Kids Check (10986)

Eligibility

To be eligible for the PNIP practices must be accredited or registered for accreditation and be fully accredited within 12 months of joining the PNIP and maintain practice accreditation. Financial support may be provided for practices that are not accredited to become accredited.

Practices must also employ or retain the services of a GP, practice nurses and/or Aboriginal Health Workers and/or Allied Health Workers and be covered by the appropriate professional indemnity insurance agreements.

Payments

Payments will be calculated and paid retrospectively on a quarterly basis.  The first payment will be in February 2012 to practices that are eligible for the PNIP. This payment will cover only the last month of the quarter (1st January 2012 to 31st January 2012).

The level of incentive payment is determined by the practice SWPE and by qualifications and hours worked by the practice nurse:

• $25,000 per year per 1000 SWPE where an RN works 12 hours & 40 minutes per week;
• $12,500 per year, per 1000 SWPE where an EN works 12 hours & 40 minutes per week.

Incentives will be capped at five per practice, limiting practices to receive a maximum of $125,000 per year.

Other payments available include:

• A top-up payment available for the first three years (2012-2014)  for practices that can prove they are disadvantaged by the removal of the PNI PIP and/or the 6 MBS item numbers;
• Grandparenting payments available for non-accredited practices that are not eligible for the incentive payment to ensure they are not disadvantaged by the removal of the MBS item numbers;
• A one-off $5000 incentive to support eligible non-accredited practices to become accredited;
• A yearly payment, per veteran for practices that are eligible for the PNIP and provide GP services to DVA Gold Card Holder. These practices will be identified by Medicare.  

Applying for the PNIP

Practices can apply for the PNIP from 1st October 2011 via the application form available on the Medicare Australia website: http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/hpos/files/pnip-application-form.pdf.

From 1st January 2012 practices will be able to apply through the PNIP online system.

Practices must submit their application between 1st October 2011 and 31st January 2012 to be eligible for the first payment in February 2012.

More Information

PNIP Guidelines

PNIP Ready Reckoner

 

Nursing opportunities

Some areas in western Sydney are considered as areas of workforce shortage and funding may be available to employ a nurse to work in your general practice. For more information please contact WentWest on (02) 8811 7100.

If you are a nurse looking for a career in General Practice, please click on the following link for further details: Practices Interested in Employing a Practice Nurse.

If you are a Practice interested in employing a Practice Nurse, please click on the following link for further details: Nurses Interested in Working for a General Practice.

 

Student Nursing Program

WentWest, in partnership with the University of Western Sydney, The Australian Catholic University and the Western Sydney Primary Care Teaching Network is promoting 'Nursing in General Practice' as a career option for nursing students in their final year who are enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing or the Bachelor of Nursing - Graduate Entry programs.

The General Practice placement requires a number of  hours of clinical practicum, supervised by a preceptor who has to be a Registered Nurse (RN) within a General Practice setting. Student nurses are required to follow/mirror their RN Preceptor's individual roster, which may include 10-12 hours shifts (including weekends), up to a maximum of 40 hours per week.

Benefits to GPs:

• Nurses assist GPs with writing care plans;
• Nurses assist with gathering patient history from new patients;
• Nurses can undertake 'observations' ready for the GP visit;
• Nurses can provide patient education;
• GP thus gets to spend more time on clinical interventions and on complex cases.

For more information regarding the role of nurses in General Practice, please contact your Area Services Coordinator at WentWest on (02) 8811 7100.  

Continuing Professional Development

Regular Continuing Professional Development workshops and educational events for practice nurses.

To access the WentWest events calendar, please click here.

Nurse Practitioner

A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has undertaken a master’s level degree and is authorised by the relevant regulatory body to function autonomously and collaboratively in an advanced and extended clinical role.

The nurse practitioner role includes assessment and management of clients using nursing knowledge and skills and may include, but is not limited to, the direct referral of patients to other health care professionals, prescribing medications and ordering diagnostic investigations.

The nurse practitioner role is grounded in the nursing profession’s values, knowledge, theories and practice and provides innovative and flexible health care delivery that complements other health care providers. The scope of practice of the nurse practitioner is determined by the context in which the nurse practitioner is authorised to practice
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2006.

Approved clinical guidelines for nurse practitioners:

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/practitioner/np_clinicalguidelines.asp

Pamphlet on Nurse practitioner in NSW:

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2005/pdf/nursemw_prac.pdf

How to become a nurse practitioner:

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/practitioner/become_np.asp

Links and Resources

• Practice Nurse Orientation Guide – Assistance can be provided to help nurses who are new to the general practice setting to become orientated with the roles and responsibilities of working in general practice.
• As of the 1st January 2012, the Practice Nurse Incentive will be replaced by the Practice Nurse Incentive Payment (PNIP). For more information, please click on the following resource: PNIP Guidelines – June 2011
• Guide for EN Supervision
• Guide for the General Practice Team
• PN Interview Questions
• Scope of practice for Nurses in General Practice
• What a PN can do
• Nursing and Midwifery CPD Requirements
• MBS Item Numbers for Nursing in General Practice

More Information

To find out more about Practice Nursing, contact your WentWest Area Services Coordinator on (02) 8811 7100 or email: support@wentwest.com.au

Latest News

Western Sydney Medicare Local progress update, click here to read