General Practice Nurses (GPNs) are vital, independent healthcare professionals within GP surgeries, working as part of a multidisciplinary team.

On the whole they are employed by the General Practitioners, they provide holistic care to individuals across all age groups, from babies to adults. Their responsibilities encompass basic nursing functions, such as wound care, immunisations, vaccinations, and cervical cytology, specialized clinics for managing long-term conditions like asthma, heart disease, and diabetes and also more advanced GPN roles in areas like Women’s Health eg Intrauterine device (coil) fitting and menopause clinics.

A key aspect of the GPN role is proactive health promotion, offering guidance on areas like contraception, weight management, and smoking cessation, with a strong focus on women’s and men’s health. GPNs contribute to virtually every facet of patient care and treatment, undertaking tasks such as treating minor injuries, assisting in minor operations, conducting health screenings, providing family planning services, and running extensive vaccination programmes.

As a general practice nurse, you can expect:

  • to be challenged and feel rewarded.
  • every day to be different.
  • your skill set to be expanded.
  • to build long term relationships with patients and support the same families through various stages of life.