EMPLOYING A PRACTICE NURSE - ROLE AND TRAINING IMPLICATIONS IN AN IRISH CONTEXT

All 102 nurses known to be practising as practice nurses in the Republ ic of Ireland were sent a questionnaire for completion anonymously. A response rate of 56% was obtained. Over half the respondents had comme nced practice nursing since the new General Medical Services contract in 1989 following a career break, the median duration of which was 5.5 years. Two thirds had completed midwifery training but only one was a qualified Public Health Nurse. An examination of the tasks performed by the respondents suggests that Irish practice nurses are already fil ling an extended role beyond their treatment room duties with 46% invo lved in smoking counselling, 74% in counselling on cholesterol and 37% involved in asthma care. Nurses providing antenatal care or taking ce rvical smears were not, however, more likely to have completed midwife ry training.