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General practice nursing

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A range of guidance, learning resources and links to support your practice in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction
General Practice Nursing

In this section, you will find a range of guidance, learning resources and links to support your practice in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Please note, this section provides discipline specific information only. Community nursing information can be found here and more general integrated community information can be found  here.

GPN

The following topics appear in this section: 

This section will be constantly developing, so please visit regularly to keep updated. Where possible, we have provided specific links to guidance and sources of information, but due to the constantly evolving landscape, the links may be subject to change and may become broken. To reduce the impact of this we have given links to the webpage.   

COVID-19 presentation

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) clinical presentations may range from mild to moderate illness to pneumonia or severe acute respiratory infection. The most common symptoms of the Coronavirus are fever, tiredness and a dry persistent cough. However, some people also experience a sore throat, running or blocked nose, muscle aches, stomach upset and/or reduced taste or smell. 

It is worth noting that for some older people living with frailty their presentation when unwell may be very different to younger people, they may present with declining function, for example falls and/or confusion. 

The following are useful sources of advice for practitioners and public relating to COVID-19: 

  • NHS Inform provides the latest coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance from NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government, including physical distancing measures and advice for infected households.
      
  • British Geriatrics Society: Coronavirus and older people is a series of resources that provides current advice from experts within the BGS relating to older people and the current COVID-19 pandemic. Of particular relevance is medicines advice for older people, managing delirium and end of life care in older people.
General Practice and Community Care Integration

To support the prioritisation of community care, you may be working alongside community nursing, care homes and secondary care e.g. hospital at home teams, virtual ward and psychiatry to support more care in the community including anticipatory care planning, urgent and end of life care and reducing the number of contacts to those most at risk.  Within this document there are many useful resources and links.

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) standard operating procedure: Community health services

GPN Consultation Appointments

Appointments system and guidance varies across boards and practice to practice.  Please follow individual practice and local board guidance on arranging face to face consultations.    

Remote consulting reduces the risk of being exposed to COVID-19 infection for both patients and clinicians. It can be used for suspected COVID-19 consultations, and to maintain normal services, especially for patients in high-risk groups. Clinicians can use remote consulting to work from home, which may enable them to continue to be part of the NHS workforce.  

There are two key types of remote consulting: telephone and video. 

More information on how remote consulting can be carried out in your setting and to access the webinars developed and delivered by the GPN Team can be found here. 

Infection prevention and control

Information and guidance regarding caring for people within primary care and the use of PPE can be found on the Health Protection Scotland website.  

The four UK countries are adopting the COVID-19 guidance for infection prevention and control in healthcare settings. This official guidance was produced jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health Wales, Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland), Health Protection Scotland and Public Health England.  

Health Protection Scotland provides the latest information and guidance, education and resources for health and social care practitioners and can be accessed here. Some of the key guidance is listed below.

Documents: 

This provides practical approaches to facilitate infection prevention and control measures for patients with suspected/confirmed COVID.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Health Protection Scotland have produced a video demonstrating the correct order for donning, doffing and disposal of PPE for healthcare workers in a primary care setting.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies/room cleaning
GNP

 

This document contains very useful information on adequate PPE guidance, acquiring PPE supplies and consultation room cleaning:

HPS Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for primary care

Long Term Condition (LTC) Management
GPN

 

 

Listed below are COVID-19 specific National Clinical Guidance and COVID-19 resources and suggested ways of working, which may be of support in LTC management.

COVID-19 Guidance useful in General Practice

Anticipatory Care Planning

Cervical Screening

Contraception 

Dermatology medication blood monitoring

Gastrointestinal and liver medications blood monitoring 

Immunisations and Vaccines

Mental Health

Prostate Health

Respiratory

Vitamin B12 deficiency

During the COVID-19 pandemic, your GPN role may be adapted as required to provide support and assistance to your colleagues, and may include treatment room duties.

Duties that cannot be carried out remotely e.g. venepuncture, wound care and suture/staple removal must be person centred and person specific following local guidance and practice protocols. 

Wellbeing support

It is important to take time to look after your own psychosocial mental health and wellbeing. It is even more vital now during this current COVID-19 pandemic because of the changes to normal life and practice. This may cause varying levels of stress and distress at points, which is normal and predictable. 

For resources and materials to support your mental health and wellbeing visit our dedicated learning site.

NES TURAS Learn COVID-19 Psychosocial mental health and wellbeing support

National Wellbeing Hub for people working in Health and Social Care

 

Wellbeing Webinar Series with Donna Booth:

  • How stressed are you? Make some space

    - The three stages of the stress response - Why it’s the little things that tip you over the edge - How to make some space - Full of practical tips and finishing with a ‘stress as a storm’ guided relaxation

  • Overwhelmed? How to take off your uniform

    - Why roles & responsibilities are so overwhelming - How we judge ourselves (and everyone else) - Taking off the uniform and letting go - Full of practical tips and finishing with a ‘letting go’ guided relaxation

General Practice Nursing

The aim of the learning resource is to support senior general practice nurses across Scotland to update their knowledge and skills as required for the refocused national role.

Other Resources

Remote consulting: 

  • Telephone consulting including utilising triage in practice effectively
     
  • Supporting people in the management of long-term conditions (LTC)
     
  • Managing Diabetes and COPD/Bronchiectasis remotely
     
  • NHS Near Me for General Practice Multi-Disciplinary Teams
     
  • Enabling Support for End of Life and Palliative Care and ACPs
     

Using NHS Near Me to provide Learners with "virtual" Practice-Based Learning Experiences:

Webinar, 15 September 2020

COVID-19 Update for GPNs

This webinar was delivered in collaboration between NES and Primary Care Division of the Scottish Government to provide an update to GPNs around the remobilisation of General Practice.

Clinical guidance for all NHS staff working in the community and Health and Social Care Partnerships during COVID-19: 

This document may be helpful for clinicians carrying out additional roles during the pandemic. While annex 5 specifically focuses on general practice nursing, the document contains very useful information on anticipatory care planning, palliative and end of life care and staff mental health and wellbeing. 

COVID-19 nursing and community health staff guidance

Community nursing:

During the current pandemic, GPNs may be working within settings that is not their normal area of practice, such as a COVID-19 Hub, the community nursing team, care homes or a patient’s home.

Practicing in the community setting

Governance: 

NHS Scotland Staff Governance

Indemnity: 

Scottish Government COVID-19: CNO's indemnity provision for nurses 

Infection Control: 

NHS Scotland National Infection Prevention and Control Manual 

Digital health and care Scotland: 

Digital Health and Care Scotland 'Digital Health and Care Supporting COVID-19'

Nurses working in general practice in conversation with Professor Jason Leitch:

Webinar, 19 August 2020 

Interpreting Blood Results – Flowcharts:

Anaemia

Neutrophils

Platelets

Lymphocytes

NES GPN Connect Journal