Register      Login
Australian Journal of Primary Health Australian Journal of Primary Health Society
The issues influencing community health services and primary health care
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Practice manager expectations of new graduate registered nurses in Australian general practice: a national survey

Christina Aggar A E , Jacqueline G. Bloomfield A , Cynthia Stanton B D , Catherine Baynie C and Christopher J. Gordon A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Sydney Nursing School, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

B Northern Sydney Medicare local, Thornleigh, NSW 2120, Australia.

C Australian Association of Practice Management Limited (AAPM), Level 1, 60 Lothian Street, North Melbourne, Vic. 3051, Australia.

D Present address: Sydney North Health Network, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Present address: School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Gold Coast Campus, Southern Cross Drive, Bilinga, Qld 4225, Australia. Email: christina.aggar@sydney.edu.au

Australian Journal of Primary Health 22(6) 559-564 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY15078
Submitted: 29 May 2015  Accepted: 16 February 2016   Published: 8 July 2016

Abstract

Practice managers are often involved in the employment of practice nurses and are likely to have a significant role in future transition programs in general practice. Therefore, the aim of the study was to explore practice managers’ expectations of new graduate registered nurses working in general practice. A nation-wide web-based electronic survey distributed by the Australian Association of Practice Management was used to collect demographic data and practice managers’ expectations of new graduate nurses directly transitioning into general practice in their first year of practice. The sample was broadly representative of the Australian state and territory population numbers. Respondents were predominantly female with postgraduate qualifications. The findings of this study highlight that practice managers who currently work with practice nurses would be supportive of graduate registered nurses in general practice in their first year with preceptor support. The results of this study have important implications for nursing workforce development and it is recommended that such initiatives are widely introduced with appropriate financial support.


References

Australian Association of Practice Management (2015) Definition of a practice manager. Available at http://www.aapm.org.au/About-AAPM/Definition-of-a-Practice-Manager [Verified 12 November 2015]

Australian Government Department of Health (2012) The Practice Nurse Incentive Program (PNIP): health reform factsheet. Available at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/pnip [Verified 12 November 2015]

Baltimore JJ (2004) The hospital clinical preceptor: essential preparation for success. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing 35, 133–140.

Bloomfield J, Aggar C, Williams A, Gordon C (2015) Nursing students’ intentions to enter primary health care as a career option: findings from a national survey. Collegian (Royal College of Nursing, Australia) 22, 161–167.
Nursing students’ intentions to enter primary health care as a career option: findings from a national survey.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Bourbonnais R, Brisson C, Malenfant R, Michel V (2005) Health care restructuring, work environment, and health of nurses. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 47, 54–64.
Health care restructuring, work environment, and health of nurses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 15597361PubMed |

Coote W (2009) General practice reforms, 1989–2009. The Medical Journal of Australia 191, 58–61.

Cubit KA, Ryan B (2011) Tailoring a graduate nurse program to meet the needs of our next generation nurses. Nurse Education Today 31, 65–71.
Tailoring a graduate nurse program to meet the needs of our next generation nurses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20417996PubMed |

Department of Health and Ageing (2010) Building a 21st century primary health care system. Australia’s first national primary health care strategy. (Commonwealth of Australia: Barton, ACT) Available at http://www.nationalplanningcycles.org/sites/default/files/country_docs/Australia/6552_nphc_1205.pdf [Verified 12 November 2015]

Department of Human Services (2012) Practice nurse incentive program guidelines. Available at http://www.humanservices.gov.au/health-professionals/services/practice-nurse-incentive-programme/ [Verified 12 November 2015]

Gordon C, Aggar C, Williams A, Walker L, Wilcox S, Bloomfield J (2014) A transition program to primary health care for new graduate nurses: a strategy towards building a sustainable primary health care nurse workforce? BMC Nursing 13, 34
A transition program to primary health care for new graduate nurses: a strategy towards building a sustainable primary health care nurse workforce?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 25550684PubMed |

Halcomb EJ, Davidson PM, Brown N (2010) Uptake of Medicare chronic disease items in Australia by general practice nurses and Aboriginal health workers. Collegian (Royal College of Nursing, Australia) 17, 57–61.
Uptake of Medicare chronic disease items in Australia by general practice nurses and Aboriginal health workers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Karasek R, Brisson C, Kawakami N, Houtman I, Bongers P, Amick B (1998) The Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ): an instrument for internationally comparative assessments of psychosocial job characteristics. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 3, 322–355.
The Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ): an instrument for internationally comparative assessments of psychosocial job characteristics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaK1M%2Fit1SqtA%3D%3D&md5=8aacb16f322637bfa69af08f8850e43aCAS | 9805280PubMed |

Keleher H, Parker R, Abdulwadud O, Francis K (2009) Systematic review of the effectiveness of primary care nursing. International Journal of Nursing Practice 15, 16–24.
Systematic review of the effectiveness of primary care nursing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19187165PubMed |

Lau R, Willetts G, Hood K, Cross W (2015) Development of self-efficacy of newly graduated registered nurses in an aged care program. Australasian Journal on Ageing 34, 224–228.
Development of self-efficacy of newly graduated registered nurses in an aged care program.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 24725265PubMed |

Laurant M, Reeves D, Hermens R, Braspenning J, Grol R, Sibbald B (2005) Substitution of doctors by nurses in primary care. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, CD001271
Substitution of doctors by nurses in primary care.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Levett-Jones T, FitzGerald M (2005) A review of Practice Nurse Transition Programs in Australia. The Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 23, 40–45.

Martínez-González NA, Rosemann T, Tandjung R, Djalali S (2014) Substitution of physicians by nurses in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Health Services Research 14, 214
Substitution of physicians by nurses in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 24884763PubMed |

Merrick E, Duffield C, Baldwin R, Fry M (2012) Nursing in general practice: organizational possibilities for decision latitude, created skill, social support and identity derived from role. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68, 614–624.
Nursing in general practice: organizational possibilities for decision latitude, created skill, social support and identity derived from role.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21771045PubMed |

Nunally J (1967) ‘Psychometric Theory.’ (Mc-Graw Hill: New York)

Opie T, Lenthall S, Wakerman J, Dollard M, MacLeod M, Knight S, Rickard G, Dunn S (2011) Occupational stress in the Australian nursing workforce: a comparison between hospital based nurses and nurses working in very remote communities. The Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 28, 36–43.

Parkinson AM, Parker R (2013) Addressing chronic and complex conditions: what evidence is there regarding the role primary healthcare nurses can play? Australian Health Review 37, 588–593.
Addressing chronic and complex conditions: what evidence is there regarding the role primary healthcare nurses can play?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 24028790PubMed |

Phillips CB, Pearce CM, Dwan KM, Hall S, Porritt J, Yates R, Kljakovic M, Sibbald B (2008) Charting roles for Australian general practice nurses: Abridged report of the Australian General Practice Nurses Study. (Australian Primary Care Institute: Canberra) Available at http://files.aphcri.anu.edu.au/research/full_report_47129.pdf [Verified 12 November 2015]

Porritt J (2007) Policy development to support nursing in Australian general practice: an overview. Contemporary Nurse 26, 56–64.
Policy development to support nursing in Australian general practice: an overview.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 18041984PubMed |

Richards J, Bowles C (2012) The meaning of being a primary nurse preceptor for newly graduated nurses. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development 28, 208–213.
The meaning of being a primary nurse preceptor for newly graduated nurses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Rush KAM, Gordon J (2013) Expanding the evidence for new graduate nurse transition best practices. (The University of British Columbia) Available at http://www.msfhr.org/sites/default/files/Expanding_the_ Evidence_for_New_Graduate_Nurse_Transition_Best_Practices.pdf [Verified 1 February 2016]

Schumacher DL (2007) Caring behaviours of preceptors as perceived by new nursing graduate orientees. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development 23, 186–192.
Caring behaviours of preceptors as perceived by new nursing graduate orientees.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17666903PubMed |

Shen HC, Cheng Y, Tsai PJ, Lee SH, Guo YL (2005) Occupational stress in nurses in psychiatric institutions in Taiwan. Journal of Occupational Health 47, 218–225.
Occupational stress in nurses in psychiatric institutions in Taiwan.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 15953843PubMed |

Van Bogaert P, Timmermans O, Weeks SM, van Heusden D, Wouters K, Franck E (2014) Nursing unit teams matter: impact of unit-level nurse practice environment, nurse work characteristics, and burnout on nurse reported job outcomes, and quality of care, and patient adverse events – a cross sectional survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies 51, 1123–1134.
Nursing unit teams matter: impact of unit-level nurse practice environment, nurse work characteristics, and burnout on nurse reported job outcomes, and quality of care, and patient adverse events – a cross sectional survey.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 24444772PubMed |

Voogdt-Pruis HR, Beusmans GHMI, Gorgels APM, Kester ADM, Van Ree JW (2010) Effectiveness of nurse-delivered cardiovascular risk management in primary care: a randomised trial. The British Journal of General Practice 60, 40–46.
Effectiveness of nurse-delivered cardiovascular risk management in primary care: a randomised trial.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20040167PubMed |

Watts I, Foley E, Hutchinson R, Pascoe T, Whitecross L, Snowdon T (2004) ‘General Practice Nursing in Australia.’ (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and Royal College of Nursing Australia: Canberra, ACT)

Whitehead B, Owen P, Holmes D, Beddingham E, Simmons M, Henshaw L (2013) Supporting newly qualified nurses in the UK: a systematic literature review. Nurse Education Today 33, 370–377.
Supporting newly qualified nurses in the UK: a systematic literature review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 23416083PubMed |