General practice nurse trainees’ perspectives on general practice nursing as a career choice in the UK: findings from a Vocational Training Scheme in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Abstract Background There remains a shortage of general practice staff worldwide to deal with an ever-increasing workload, and the need to attract ‘new blood’ into general practice nursing is vital. If this is to be successful, new graduate nurses must also be provided with the necessary infrastructure to support their ongoing professional development. As part of this, a one-year Vocational Training Scheme for general practice nurses was developed in 2020 by the South Yorkshire Primary Care Workforce and Training Hub. Methods The aim of the study was to examine the trainees’ views on general practice nursing as a career. A pragmatic, convenience sample of trainees undertaking the 2020 vocational training scheme was recruited. Ethical approval was obtained from Sheffield Hallam University. Of the 21 trainees on the 2020 programme, 17 agreed to take part in the study. Data were collected from the trainees using a series of four regular, timed, online focus groups designed to follow the trainees’ trajectory on the programme over a 12 month period. The data were transcribed, cleaned, and analysed using the ‘framework approach’. Results The timed nature of the focus groups meant that the thematic analysis was linked to the trainees’ trajectory over the course of the year. Three themes emerged from the data: ‘pathways into general practice’; ‘learning to be a GPN’; and ‘the future GPN’. Discussion In theme one, the trainees talked of the difficulties in accessing general practice as a new graduate, specifically the need for prior experience and how to get it. In the second, the transition to being a general practice nurse was discussed, and the expectation of being able to ‘hit the ground running’ once in post. The new graduate trainees were also concerned over the opportunities for clinical supervision and support in the role after the programme,. Finally, the trainees expressed concern over the opportunities for professional development and the prospects for a long-term career in general practice. Conclusion In order to address the UK workforce ‘crisis’ in primary care, there is a need to change the culture of general practice. The need to provide fully funded education for general practice nurses is an important element in achieving this.