Group To Discuss Primary Health Care Nursing

Group To Discuss Primary Health Care Nursing Strategy

MAJOR changes to the role nurses play in primary healthcare will be discussed by an expert group meeting in Wellington this week.

The Primary Health Care Nursing project is being set up to implement the nursing recommendations in the Primary Health Care Strategy, says Chief Nursing Advisor Frances Hughes.

This project is part of the wider work aimed at developing a new direction for primary health care with a greater emphasis on the role of the community, health promotion and preventive care, the need to involve a range of professionals, as well as the advantages of funding based on population needs.

"The strategy has major implications for the number, mix, distribution, and education of the primary health care nursing workforce.

"Nurses will play a critical role in the implementation of the strategy," Ms Hughes said.

The Primary Health Care Strategy was released by Minister of Health Annette King in February 2001.

The current primary health care nursing workforce is fragmented and the many primary health care nursing services are not well coordinated. The changes signalled by the strategy will increase the need for well trained primary health care nurses.

The sector reference group will review the best practice guidelines for primary health organisations, the current arrangements for the delivery of primary health care nursing services in New Zealand and the employment arrangements for primary health care nurses.

The group was appointed last week and meets for the first time on Friday, June 29.

The members of the sector reference group are:

Frances Hughes - Ministry of Health Chief Advisor, Nursing Liane Penney - Clinical Manager, Te Tai Tokerau MAPO Trust Kitty Flannery - Manager, Sexual Health Service, Health Waikato; President, New Zealand Venerological Society Anna Bailey - Samoan Nurses Association Geoff Annals - Acting Chief Executive, New Zealand Nurses Organisation Jan Pearson - Coordinator, Nurse Education in the Tertiary Sector Clare Clayden - Research Fellow, New Zealand Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health and General Practice, Christchurch School of Medicine Rose Lightfoot - Clinical Advisor / Education Coordinator, First Health Ltd Dr Jenny Carryer - Professor of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Massey University; Executive Director, College of Midwives Aotearoa Marion Guy - Chairperson, New Zealand College of Practice Nurses Anne Lensen - Clinical Advisor, Royal New Zealand Plunket Society

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