Session Synopses
The Practice Nurse Clinical Education Program is made up of a number of keynote sessions, streams and breakout sessions, allowing you the freedom to put together the program you want.
KEYNOTE SESSIONS
Keynote Session 1: Role of the Practice Nurse: where to from here?
The role of the PN in Australia and overseas is evolving rapidly and in different directions. Hear about the development of the profession, and how the roles and responsibilities of the PN might evolve in coming years.
Keynote Session 2: Persistent Cough - differential diagnosis. Is it pertussis?
The most common vaccine preventable disease is pertussis, with 90% of cases now in adults. The incidences are likely to be much higher than the 11,000 reported last year as 95% of cases go undiagnosed or are mistaken for persistent cough. Pertussis is highly infectious, with over half of cases in infants (which account for 80% of hospitalisations) being transmitted from their parents. Both natural and disease induced immunity wane over time, so close contacts of newborns need a pertussis booster to reduce the risk of passing it on (as recommended by the NHMRC).
Sanofi Pasteur
Keynote Session 3: Weight Management & Reduction
Learn strategies for assisting patients wishing to lose weight healthily.
Keynote Session 4: Practice Nursing: how valuable are you to your practice?
With the evolution of the PN role, the importance of understanding and being able to communicate to others your contribution to your workplace has increased. Learn some handy negotiation skills that could aid in promoting your work and banking on it.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS & STREAMS
Thursday, 18th September
Stream A - Diabetes
Diabetes management
Preventing pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Understand the role of lifestyle advice, diet, assessment and medication in diabetes management.
Managing a diabetes clinic
Learn practical tips on how to manage a diabetes clinic in your practice.
Lilly Diabetes
Stream B - Practical
Sports strapping
A hands on session covering approaches to strapping common sports injuries which present in the general practice setting.
Plaster workshop
A popular hands on session on applying and removing plaster casts, with a focus on back slab application. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves!
Stream C – Mental Health
Mental health and the elderly
This session will explore the mental health issues surrounding this key demographic, and what to look for in the over 75 health assessment.
Mental health first aid
Learn how to identify acute mental health emergencies in general practice and how to assess and refer patients at risk.
Breakout 1: Sterilisation for accreditation in general practice
AGPAL will discuss sterilisation and what is required for accreditation against the RACGP Standards for GP 3rd edition. The session will explore what practices need to demonstrate for accreditation and how sterilisation is assessed. It will also highlight how you can easily access resources designed specifically to guide and support you through the accreditation process.
Visiomed
Breakout 2: The importance of a hearing test for the over 50s
One in six Australians are affected by a hearing loss. A routine check-up should include a hearing screen to determine a hearing loss. Identifying the symptoms of age related hearing loss and interpretation of the audiogram results.
Hearing Life
Breakout 3: ECG interpretation
Learn what an ECG tells you by interpreting the results. Do you need to be concerned?
Breakout 4: Data cleansing
This session will look at the importance of maintaining an up to date and relevant electronic database in the general practice setting. How can information systems be maintained so that quality data can be easily accessed?
Breakout 5: Asthma first aid
Maintain and update your knowledge on the importance and practice of asthma first aid. Additionally, learn about preventative measures, medication management, and the importance of a tailored asthma action plan.
Breakout 6: Pain management: a focus on diabetic neuropathy
50% of patients with diabetes have some form of neuropathy and it is difficult to recognise due to different presentations. Average number of patients with painful diabetic neuropathy per GP practice is estimated at 30. Nurses will be provided with diagnostic tools and techniques for the assessment of positive and negative sensory signs and symptoms of diabetic neuropathy and data on the role of various drugs in the management of painful diabetic neuropathy.
Pfizer
Thursday, 18th September
Stream A - Wound Management
Acute wounds - tears, cuts, abrasions & minor burns
Learn about the prevention and management of the most common acute wounds presenting in general practice.
Chronic wounds - venous leg ulcers and the diabetic foot...including trouble shooting the wound that won't heal
Learn about the prevention and management of chronic wounds, venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers.
ConvaTec
Stream B – Immunisation
Childhood immunisation update
Update on immunisation issues, new vaccines and changes to the schedule or handbook.
Management of anaphylaxis
Clinical management of anaphylaxis and assisting patients with injectable adrenaline.
Stream C – Preventing Chronic Disease
Talking preventative health
With preventative health and patient education becoming such a large and important part of the PN role, excellent communication skills are a must. This session aims to teach delegates some effective communication techniques that can be applied to preventative health and utilised immediately with your patients.
Health promotion
Obtain an update on the latest techniques in health promotion. This session will provide delegates with general guidelines that will aid in teaching your patients about the importance of overall good health.
Breakout 1: Triage
This session will cover the principles of effective triage, focusing on a team approach to the identification and management of prioritising the medical needs of patients.
Breakout 2: Managing vomiting & diarrhoea in children
Assessing & preventing dehydration in children.
Hydralyte
Breakout 3: Pathology interpretation
Update your knowledge on the most common pathology tests in the general practice setting and learn how to interpret the results.
Breakout 4: Foot check & assessment
An important aspect of best practice care for diabetes and other related conditions; checking feet and assessing for abnormalities is a key role for practice nurses.
Breakout 5: Legal issues & professional indemnity for practice nurses
Professional indemnity and legal issues are an area of uncertainty for practice nurses. Nurses face a range of legal issues in general practice such as documentation, duty of care, consent, and accepting medical orders. Understand the issues so you can decide if you need to take out your own cover.
Breakout 6: GP management plans
Learn about the practice nurse role in preparing GP management plans according to MBS requirements, models of assisting the GP in preparing and potential roles for practice nurses in managing chronic diseases between plans.
