Abstract
The aim of this study was to gather as much information as possible from practice nurses in post in order to determine their perceived education and training needs. Detail was ascertained with regard to personal characteristics, professional details and occupational role. The analysis of the data identified that practice nurses in this study were all female, the majority worked part-time and that the greater proportion of the nurses were aged between thirty and forty-nine years. The range of professional qualifications was considerable and the occupational role which they undertook diverse. The nurses worked in a variety of environments with practices being either purpose built on the one hand or having been developed as a practice on the other. One third of the practices were training practices, and this had implications for the nurse operating from a training practice. The study highlighted that nurses working in a training practice had more opportunity to pursue studies and the nurse was also more likely to have protocols in place and be safely employed. The majority of nurses in the study worked on their own and a sense of isolation was identified. The practice nurses’ learning needs were as diverse as their role. Considerable emphasis was placed on skill ability and the need for training in this aspect of their role. One of the objectives of this research was to see whether a central curriculum or a modular programme was best suited for the learning needs of practice nurses. The research has confirmed that a modular programme is best suited for the learning needs of these nurses because they work in small practices, have varying occupational roles and have different perceived learning needs. There was also genuine concern that practice nurses received credit for professional education.