The network lead is Jackie Coleman and I am the staff lead. It is important that GPNs get the opportunity to meet and discuss issues and share their thoughts, as primary care can be quite an isolated environment with some nurses being the only one employed in the practice. We meet every 6-8 weeks to share information; I can update them with relevant information from the NI primary care steering group and they can feedback any issues or challenges they are facing. We often invite speakers to these network meetings and recently have heard from the Public Health Agency nurse consultant for primary care, the director of nursing for the GP federations and the RCN UK primary care forum lead.
At RCN NI we are also commissioned to provide educational updates for primary care nursing such as cervical screening update, warfarin management and tissue viability to name a few. These programmes are very well evaluated and the network is able to advise on their learning needs for planning future updates.
Anyone interested in joining the network should be an RCN member working in primary care, you would be most welcome.
Please contact me.
Linzi McIlroy
