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Introduction to the Framework
The framework will support General Practice Nursing education and training. It is not a defined academic curriculum as the scope of the competencies in this framework will take time (years) to develop. The nature of General Practice Nursing means that the requirements around individual roles will be influenced by individual and employer interests and the health care needs of the practice population. There is no expectation that all the competencies will be achieved in their entirety by every General Practice Nurse.
The framework provides a structure which supports self-assessment, clinical supervision, observed practice and competency sign off. GPNs using this framework will be able to demonstrate they have achieved a specific and measurable standard of practice in each area of practice included in the framework.
Competency assessment is not a substitute for accessing relevant post-graduate academic education or other training or for high quality role induction. It offers a structured format so that along with their employer/assessor a GPN will be able to state their competence in these areas as a registered practitioner. It will also act to identify any gaps in knowledge and competence and enable them to request appropriate training or carry out self-directed learning to fulfil this requirement.
It is reasonable to expect that the depth of knowledge and clinical expertise that is demonstrated by an individual nurse will vary for a number of reasons. To address this the competencies themselves have been assigned tiers which demonstrate the level of expertise that has been gained in a particular field. There is no hierarchy assigned to the competencies included in the framework, as this will emerge from the specific needs of the patient population and requirements of the employer.
It is the intention of the framework that GPNs will be able to come back to it and use it to assess their practice against the competencies at whatever stage they are in their career. It is intended to support the (often unsung) work of clinical supervisors/educators, assessors, and also provide developmental challenge for GPNs who have been working for some time in the field and may have become fixed in their own practice.
The framework will maintain its relevance by being updated with the latest evidence and guidelines. It will change as new areas of practice become mainstream. It will serve employers as a tool to understand and appreciate the clinical expertise that nurses bring with them in any environment they are working as a GPN, be that a general practice, a prison, a mental health trust environment or elsewhere.
Using the Framework
GPNs intending to use this framework should first complete the self-assessment template and statutory mandatory training template before using the competencies. The self-assessment template and statutory training template are available by clicking on the buttons that are found lower down the page. These templates should be completed by all GPNs using this framework and can be printed off or saved to your individual folder on your computer. These sections should be completed by yourself and by your employer/supervisor; more information on these templates can be found below. These sections should be reviewed at regular intervals and signed off when completed.
Self-Assessment and The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) sets standards of proficiency for registered nurses. The seven platforms and two annexes set out the proficiencies and specify the knowledge and skills that Registered Nurses must demonstrate when caring for people of all ages and across all care settings. Registered Nurses, employers and patients rely on these standards as the foundation to support the development of nursing practice over the course of a career.
This competency framework for General Practice Nurses (GPN) relies on career long attention to NMC standards. The framework includes a self-assessment of practice against the NMC Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses. This requires self-assessment and supervisor sign off. It is intended as a first and important step for all Nurses stepping into a General Practice Nursing career. It will assist GPNs to continue to operate as reflective practitioners.
Statutory Mandatory Training
The section on Statutory and Mandatory Training enables both the employer and the GPN to chart their progress on attaining all the required training, which supports both professional practice and employer HR processes.
The framework is structured to provide a route map to support nurses new to General Practice Nursing on a career long journey. It will assist GPNs to establish high level competence and expertise in a field of nursing which requires specialist knowledge across a wide range of clinical situations. It provides an elaboration of the most common clinical areas of practice which are delivered by nurses who are providing clinical care in a general practice setting. The framework will support GPNs to develop problem solving, leadership and management skills in an appropriate context. This will enable GPNs to operate as autonomous practitioners, utilising research, guidelines and evidence to inform and update their practice.
Competence Tiering System
Most of the GPN competencies are structured into tiers, each of which corresponds to the level of care and knowledge needed to achieve that specific tier in a competency. Further details about this tiering system are provided below.
Tier 1: Competencies that require a general understanding and that support the provision of primary care/general practice nursing. This tier is relevant to all those who work in primary care and these competencies should be viewed as the foundations of practice. This tier articulates the competencies to deliver foundation level reviews in the specified area of care. A member of the public should expect this level of competence from any General Practice Nurse with whom they interface.
Tier 2: Competencies that enable the provision of care at a more advanced level with a greater depth of knowledge about the area of care being provided. Competencies at Tier 2 enable nursing care with a higher degree of critical analysis for people across the whole lifespan who could have complex and concurrent mental, physical, social, cognitive, and behavioural care needs. This includes people at the end of their life. Tier 2 competencies enable practice in the context of continual change, challenging environments, different models of care delivery, innovation and rapidly evolving technologies using critical analysis and the underpinning knowledge to manage complex interventions.
Tier 3: Competencies that require an ability to provide care along with an ability to lead practice, operating at the cutting edge of innovation. The competencies at this tier enable staff to manage clinical care at the highest level independently, from beginning to end, for example an individual presents through to the end of the episode, which may include admission, referral or discharge or care at home. Competencies at Tier 3 enable the generation of new knowledge about best treatment and care, through actively seeking and implementing best evidence to improve health and care outcomes and experiences for patients and staff.
Reflective Practice Template and Professional Development Plan Template
The reflective practice templates and professional development plan templates which can be found by clicking on the buttons below will support revalidation and appraisal.
Introduction to the Framework
The framework will support General Practice Nursing education and training. It is not a defined academic curriculum as the scope of the competencies in this framework will take time (years) to develop. The nature of General Practice Nursing means that the requirements around individual roles will be influenced by individual and employer interests and the health care needs of the practice population. There is no expectation that all the competencies will be achieved in their entirety by every General Practice Nurse.
The framework provides a structure which supports self-assessment, clinical supervision, observed practice and competency sign off. GPNs using this framework will be able to demonstrate they have achieved a specific and measurable standard of practice in each area of practice included in the framework.
Competency assessment is not a substitute for accessing relevant post-graduate academic education or other training or for high quality role induction. It offers a structured format so that along with their employer/assessor a GPN will be able to state their competence in these areas as a registered practitioner. It will also act to identify any gaps in knowledge and competence and enable them to request appropriate training or carry out self-directed learning to fulfil this requirement.
It is reasonable to expect that the depth of knowledge and clinical expertise that is demonstrated by an individual nurse will vary for a number of reasons. To address this the competencies themselves have been assigned tiers which demonstrate the level of expertise that has been gained in a particular field. There is no hierarchy assigned to the competencies included in the framework, as this will emerge from the specific needs of the patient population and requirements of the employer.
It is the intention of the framework that GPNs will be able to come back to it and use it to assess their practice against the competencies at whatever stage they are in their career. It is intended to support the (often unsung) work of clinical supervisors/educators, assessors, and also provide developmental challenge for GPNs who have been working for some time in the field and may have become fixed in their own practice.
The framework will maintain its relevance by being updated with the latest evidence and guidelines. It will change as new areas of practice become mainstream. It will serve employers as a tool to understand and appreciate the clinical expertise that nurses bring with them in any environment they are working as a GPN, be that a general practice, a prison, a mental health trust environment or elsewhere.
Using the Framework
GPNs intending to use this framework should first complete the self-assessment template and statutory mandatory training template before using the competencies. The self-assessment template and statutory training template are available by clicking on the buttons that are found lower down the page. These templates should be completed by all GPNs using this framework and can be printed off or saved to your individual folder on your computer. These sections should be completed by yourself and by your employer/supervisor; more information on these templates can be found below. These sections should be reviewed at regular intervals and signed off when completed.
Self-Assessment and The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) sets standards of proficiency for registered nurses. The seven platforms and two annexes set out the proficiencies and specify the knowledge and skills that Registered Nurses must demonstrate when caring for people of all ages and across all care settings. Registered Nurses, employers and patients rely on these standards as the foundation to support the development of nursing practice over the course of a career.
This competency framework for General Practice Nurses (GPN) relies on career long attention to NMC standards. The framework includes a self-assessment of practice against the NMC Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses. This requires self-assessment and supervisor sign off. It is intended as a first and important step for all Nurses stepping into a General Practice Nursing career. It will assist GPNs to continue to operate as reflective practitioners.
Statutory Mandatory Training
The section on Statutory and Mandatory Training enables both the employer and the GPN to chart their progress on attaining all the required training, which supports both professional practice and employer HR processes.
The framework is structured to provide a route map to support nurses new to General Practice Nursing on a career long journey. It will assist GPNs to establish high level competence and expertise in a field of nursing which requires specialist knowledge across a wide range of clinical situations. It provides an elaboration of the most common clinical areas of practice which are delivered by nurses who are providing clinical care in a general practice setting. The framework will support GPNs to develop problem solving, leadership and management skills in an appropriate context. This will enable GPNs to operate as autonomous practitioners, utilising research, guidelines and evidence to inform and update their practice.
Competence Tiering System
Most of the GPN competencies are structured into tiers, each of which corresponds to the level of care and knowledge needed to achieve that specific tier in a competency. Further details about this tiering system are provided below.
Tier 1: Competencies that require a general understanding and that support the provision of primary care/general practice nursing. This tier is relevant to all those who work in primary care and these competencies should be viewed as the foundations of practice. This tier articulates the competencies to deliver foundation level reviews in the specified area of care. A member of the public should expect this level of competence from any General Practice Nurse with whom they interface.
Tier 2: Competencies that enable the provision of care at a more advanced level with a greater depth of knowledge about the area of care being provided. Competencies at Tier 2 enable nursing care with a higher degree of critical analysis for people across the whole lifespan who could have complex and concurrent mental, physical, social, cognitive, and behavioural care needs. This includes people at the end of their life. Tier 2 competencies enable practice in the context of continual change, challenging environments, different models of care delivery, innovation and rapidly evolving technologies using critical analysis and the underpinning knowledge to manage complex interventions.
Tier 3: Competencies that require an ability to provide care along with an ability to lead practice, operating at the cutting edge of innovation. The competencies at this tier enable staff to manage clinical care at the highest level independently, from beginning to end, for example an individual presents through to the end of the episode, which may include admission, referral or discharge or care at home. Competencies at Tier 3 enable the generation of new knowledge about best treatment and care, through actively seeking and implementing best evidence to improve health and care outcomes and experiences for patients and staff.
Reflective Practice Template and Professional Development Plan Template
The reflective practice templates and professional development plan templates which can be found by clicking on the buttons below will support revalidation and appraisal.