Feasibility of adopting Minimum Education Standards for general practice nursing

Abstract

Education for general practice nurses varies by provider. Sue Crossman et al look at the feasibility of using minimum standards to determine whether courses are fit for purpose Courses that prepare nurses to work in general practice vary widely in quality, content and appropriateness. In 2021, nurses, employers, education providers and commissioners in London tested whether it would be feasible to use co-developed ‘minimum standards’ to check whether education for general practice nurses is fit for purpose. We interviewed and surveyed 30 stakeholders who took part in facilitated discussions to compare five courses against the standards. The simple standards helped nurses, employers and commissioners make decisions about which courses to select and encouraged providers to tailor their programmes to better meet the needs of general practice. The standards can be applied during annual course reviews to consider whether courses cover all the key competencies general practice nurses need to provide the best patient care and take their place at the heart of primary care.