Health Education England has launched new training for General Practice Nursing in an attempt to make  the profession more accessible.

The three-month modules aims to equip nurses for a potential application and interview in General Practice Nursing.

The training will encourage pre-registration nurses to see the value in the career  and improve understanding and awareness of General Practice.

The training has been designed following feedback on why some applicants were failing to get through the recruitment process.

Liz Fenton OBE, deputy chief nurse at HEE, said: “We know that Primary Care and General Practice provide some exciting career opportunities but nurses have told us that they have faced challenges when applying for vacancies.

“This is often because they are unable to evidence understanding of the work within these areas, for example working on a ward can be very different to working alone in a treatment room.

“This module aims to provide support to those looking for their first role in Primary Care and General Practice, helping them to develop skills and gain knowledge. Additionally, it will provide an overview of what it means to deliver local care for a population so that those considering a role can be fully informed.”

Nurses and nursing associates at all levels from pre-registration through to registered nurses working in different healthcare settings who want to start a career in general practice will be eligible for the training.

The course will cover areas including how the role fits within the multi-disciplinary team, one-to-one communications skills and how to operate in a primary care environment.

Hilary Garratt, deputy chief nursing officer for NHS England, said: “Nurses play a vital role in General Practice and it’s important that those who are considering a career in primary care have the information and training they need to put themselves forward.

“We hope nurses of all levels of experience who want to explore this option will take up the new training on offer.”