2023 was a very successful 1st year for our Principles of General Practice Nursing Course.
The NEC officers & Education Committee are delighted to announce that the course will run twice in 2024 – in January & September.
All participants will have access to a recording of each module (except Module 6) following each live meeting.
IGPNEA is launching its Principles of General Practice Nursing course in January 2023. The course is aimed at those nurses in the early stages of their general practice careers and those nurses considering joining general practice from another setting. It will give an understanding of the role carried out by general practice nurses (GPNs); the wide variety of skills required to work safely; information on how to link to evidence-based educational resources for further learning and the opportunity for further career development within the general practice setting.
The course content has been strategically planned to orientate the participant to practice safely in their new working environment. The therapeutic relationship in general practice differs from that of the acute healthcare setting. Care interventions span all age groups, throughout the life course and across all fields of nursing. The course will afford the participant the opportunity to consolidate his/her prior learning with the knowledge and skills to manage and deliver quality care in a range of issues in the primary care environment, within the realms of wellness and prevention of chronic disease and multi morbidity.
Optimal support and direction will be provided for those who are taking the course while undertaking other significant work and family commitments. The course values peer to peer learning and utilises the experience of those more established GPNs to give practical advice on working in real-life settings, integrating theory and practice, which optimises patient care and practitioner development.
The course shall consist of 12 modules, delivered virtually via zoom, over a 6-week period followed by a face-to-face practical skills day. NMBI Category 1 approval for each module. There will be a limit of 30 participants per course. All of the module tutors are experienced in working in general practice and will bring a unique insight into the practicalities of working in this exciting environment.
Course Fees
January/February Intake:
Course Dates:
Week 1: Tuesday 16th January 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Week 1: Thursday 18th January 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Week 2: Tuesday 23rd January 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Week 2: Thursday 25th January 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Week 3: Tuesday 30th January 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Week 3: Thursday 1st February 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Week 4: Tuesday 6th February 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Week 4: Thursday 8th February 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Week 5: Tuesday 13th February 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Week 5: Thursday 15th February 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Week 6: Tuesday 20th February 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Week 6: Thursday 22nd February 2024, 2.30pm-5.30pm
Skills Day: Saturday 10th OR 17th February, 10am-4pm, Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise
Please note these dates are confirmed and will require you to attend all sessions to complete the course. You can not swap sessions for future dates once you have made a booking.
New: Recordings Included
Online access to the recording of each session for 2 weeks after each session (these would be available approximately 24/48 hours after the module).
This will allow you to look back, make more notes, or view any missed modules.
Please note you must attend at least half of the modules live and in person and the skills day, in order to receive your final course certificate. We would recommend attending module one, module six (sexual health which cannot be recorded) and the immunisation modules live as these are very interactive with a great opportunity to ask questions.
Course Modules
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Module 1: Scope of Practice Issues
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Module 2: Cardiovascular
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Module 3: Obesity, Inflammatory conditions, End of Life Care
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Module 4: Immunisation
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Module 5: Asthma
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Module 6: Sexual Health
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Module 7: COPD, Smoking Cessation
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Module 8: Wound Care, Dermatology
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Module 9: Women’s Health
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Module 10: Men’s Health, Cancer Referral Pathways
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Module 11: Mental Health
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Module 12: Diabetes
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Skills Day: Blood pressure, ECG, Respiratory, Immunisation, Dressings, Protocols
Week One
Module One
Scope of practice issues
- Therapeutic relationships in general practice, different from acute care setting
- Spans all age groups, throughout the life course, across all fields of nursing
- Contract / indemnity
- NMBI – division on register / minimum RGN
- PPPGs – over-arching work in general practice setting
- PCRS – the business end of general practice
- Social media policy / HR issues
- Slaintecare
- IGPNEA membership
- Phlebotomy and sample requirements, request forms
- What we can’t undertake if no GP on site
Module Two
Cardiovascular
- Hypertension – measurement / treatments / prevention
- B/P monitoring – mercury/ aneroid/ digital/ ambulatory advantages and disadvantages
- Atrial fibrillation / Heart Failure /Angina / CVA / CVD/ MI / Atherosclerosis
- ECG – devices / technique
- Chronic disease management – CDM / OCF / Preventative programme
Week Two
Module Three
Obesity
- Definition and pathophysiology
- Starting the conversation
- Stigma
- Behavioural interventions
- Pharmacotherapy
Inflammatory conditions
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Arteritis
- Definitions and pathophysiology
- Treatments and monitoring
End of Life Care
- Enhance quality of life and wherever possible to positively influence the course of illness
Module Four
Immunisation
- PCIP – Seasonal vaccines / occupational health vaccines/ travel vaccines
- National Coldchain ordering process and out of date returns
- Consent issues – parents/guardians/foster family
- Immunisation administration – medication interactions / schedules / catch up
- Maintaining immunisation records / completing data returns
- Fridge – temp monitoring / coldchain breach / storage issues
Week Three
Module Five
Asthma
- Definition and diagnosis / pathophysiology
- Treatment guidelines – GINA
- Under 6’s and adults
- Inhalers and techniques
- Acute exacerbations
- Chronic disease management (CDM Programme)
Module Six
Sexual health
- History taking
- Men and women affected
- Fertility
- Contraception – methods /contraindications / emergency
- Free contraception scheme
- Crisis pregnancy – referral pathway
- STI’s – identification / screening tests /blood borne v contact lesions
Week Four
Module Seven
COPD
- Definition and diagnosis / pathophysiology/ Spirometry
- Treatment guidelines – GOLD
- Inhalers and technique
- Chronic disease management (CDM Programme)
- Pulmonary HUB referral pathway
Smoking Cessation
- Motivational interviewing / MECC
- Support services
- Smoking cessation aids
Module Eight
Wound care
- Types of wounds – bites (animal and human)/ burns / lacerations / skin tears / traumatic
- Assessment – immediate care / early interventions / Tetanus booster??
- Dressings – different types and when to use
- Wound healing – stages / processes
- Infections – recognition / treatment
- Sterilisation of reusable instruments v single use instruments HIQA guidelines
Dermatology
- Skin conditions – eczema / acne / psoriasis / genital
- Assessment and Treatments
- Allergic reactions
Week Five
Module Nine
Women’s Health
- National screening programmes – cervical / breast / bowel
- Vaginal ring pessary – changes
- Menstrual issues – premenstrual disorders / menorrhagia / amenorrhoea
- Menopause – HRT / breast cancer / Osteoporosis
- Endometriosis / Pelvic inflammatory disease /Polycystic ovary disease
- Fertility – Contraception* / Preconceptual care / antenatal care / postnatal care
- Vaginal discharge – abnormal / physiological
- Infections / Incontinence / Vaginal organ prolapse
- Vulval problems
Module Ten
Men’s Health
- Cancer referral pathways -bowel /breast / prostate
- Urinary infections
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Erectile dysfunction
- Testosterone deficiency
- Testicular pain / cancer / promoting self-examination
- Midlife crisis and depression
- Toxic masculinity
- Metabolic syndrome
- Sleep apnoea
- Alcohol
Cancer Referral Pathways
- Lung
- Skin – colorectal – radon
- Head and Neck
- Ovarian / uterine / cervical / breast
Week Six
Module Eleven
Mental Health
- Chronic conditions and mental health
- Discussing mental health issues with patients – language / stigma
- Anxiety / depression / stress
- Perinatal mental health
- Eating disorders / body dysmorphia
- Gender dysphoria
- LGBTIQ+
- Suicide awareness / gatekeeper training
- Compassion fatigue / practitioner burnout
Module Twelve
Diabetes
- Definition and pathophysiology
- Prevention – exercise / weight management / healthy eating / alcohol
- Diagnosis – impaired fasting glucose / impaired glucose tolerance / GTT / HbA1c
- Treatment options – lifestyle modifications / pharmacotherapy
- Monitoring – glucometers (or not) / footcare and footwear
- Diabetic foot exam – chiropodist / podiatrist
- Retinal screening programme – referral and follow up
- Chronic disease management (CDM Programme)
- Diabetes HUB referral pathway
- Long term illness (LTI) card
Skills Day
Skills day:
Station 1 – Blood pressure – monitoring devices
Station 2 – ECG – lead placement
Station 3 – Respiratory – spirometry – inhaler technique – sample devices
Station 4 – Immunisation – administration technique – demo doll – fridge temp recording
Station 5 – Dressings – available on stock order form – samples
Station 6 – Protocols (sample PPPGs)- stock ordering (pink form) – vaccine returns
Terms and Conditions
- Attend all modules to achieve Course Completion Certificate
- Certificate of attendance for each module attended
- If module is missed, may attend module on next course
- Satisfactory internet connection
- Course delivered through zoom platform
- Screen recording is not allowed
- All course content is copyrighted to the IGPNEA/Module Presenter
- NMBI Cat 1 approval for each module – course total = 36 CEUs