Session Synopses

The Practice Nurse Clinical Education Program is made up of larger, lecture style seminars, and smaller breakout sessions and practical, hands-on workshops, allowing you the freedom to put together the program you want.

SEMINARS
Development of the Practice Nurse Role and Scope of Practice
The role of the practice nurse 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 practice nurse might evolve in coming years. This session will also provide you with an insight into your current and possible future scope of practice. 

Diabetes Management
Further your knowledge on the prevention of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Understand the role of lifestyle advice, diet, assessment and medication in diabetes management.

Asthma Management
Maintain and update your knowledge on the importance of effective asthma management. Additionally, learn about preventative measures, medication management, and the importance of a tailored asthma action plan.

Next Generation Flu Vaccines are Just Around the Corner
Tired of giving Influenza vaccines? Introducing an innovation which will revolutionise flu vaccination as we know it - the microinjection system. Preferred by both patients and users alike, the new 'simple yet sophisticated' system delivers the vaccine directly into the immune system with a tiny needle just 1.5mm long. Learn about the benefits of intradermal vaccination and using the new system, as patients are going to be asking all about 'new flu'. Sanofi Pasteur

Travel Health
Learn principles of pre-travel health care requirements. This session will provide an update on current immunisation issues, new vaccines and changes to the schedule or handbook relating to this important aspect of travel health. Sanofi Pasteur

Practice Nurse Empowerment: Start Communicating Your Value to Your Practice
With the evolution of the practice nurse role, the importance of understanding and being able to communicate to others your contribution to your workplace has increased. Learn how to recognise your contribution and how to empower yourself, deal with cultural and organisational change and manage stress.

Making the MBS Work for You and Your Patients
Do you know how to effectively utilise item numbers? Learn how to make the Medicare Benefits Schedule work in the favour of you and your practice.

Legal Issues: Are You Covered?
Legal issues remain an ongoing area of uncertainty in the practice nursing profession. Nurses face a range of legal issues in general practice such as documentation, duty of care, consent and accepting medical orders. Understand these issues so you can decide if you need to take steps to protect yourself professionally.

The 4 Year Old Healthy Kids Check
What does the recently implemented Healthy Kids Check entail? This session will provide an essential review of what areas of assessment the Healthy Kids Check item number covers, how they are assessed and what further information you will need to know to take part in this important activity.

Motivating Your Patients to Change – The Fight Against Chronic Disease
Learn how motivational interviewing can be readily incorporated into your role to achieve the best health outcomes possible for your patients. Learn methods for encouraging your patients to start and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviours.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS
New to Practice Nursing? Making the Move to General Practice
What should you consider when making the move to the general practice nursing profession from other nursing specialties? Hear about the uniqueness of the practice nurse role, and gain tips on how to make your transition as smooth as possible.

Recognition of the Sick Child
Managing gastroenteritis and dehydration. Learn how to triage children, assess dehydration and manage oral rehydration. Hydralyte

Preparing for Accreditation? Don’t Panic!
This session will explore what practices need to demonstrate for accreditation. It will also highlight what resources you can use that are designed specifically to guide and support you throughout the accreditation process, and how you can access these.

The 45 – 49 Year Old Health Check: Your Role in Preventing Chronic Disease
Do you know what the 45 – 49 year old health check item number involves? This session will enhance your knowledge of this check including early intervention strategies for the prevention of chronic diseases for patients in this age group. Find out what you need to know to make the most of this check.

Bridging the Gap: Chronic Disease (Part 1 & 2)
The Bridging the Gap Initiative aims to address the gap between evidence for treatment and outcomes achieved in patients at risk of chronic diseases. The role of the practice nurses in patient screening, recall and education will be explored with a focus on cardiovascular disease. This 3-hour program is RCNA/APNA accredited. Pfizer

The Practice Nurse Role in Dealing with Patients with Depression
Do you know how to deal with a patient with depression? This session will update your knowledge on the best ways to approach, communicate with and encourage your patients who have been diagnosed with clinical depression.

Practice Nurse Salary, Conditions and Negotiation Skills
This session will not only provide an update on the results of the 2008 APNA salary and conditions survey, including current salaries and trends occurring in practice nursing, but will also present practical tips on how to approach your employer and some techniques to use in order to obtain a successful negotiation outcome.

Chronic Kidney Disease and the Practice Nurse
Improve your knowledge of the population at increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the importance of early detection. This session will discuss the role of the practice nurse in slowing the progression of CKD, including the impact of lifestyle modification and relevant item numbers. Kidney Health Australia

Time Management: How Do I Fit it All in?
With the continuing evolution of the practice nurse role, it seems as though more and more tasks need to be fit into less and less time! Learn skills that will assist you to complete everything you need to do in a day, a week and a month.

Chronic Wounds
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. Coloplast

Chronic Disease Clinics: An Open Forum
Are you interested in setting up a chronic disease clinic? Have you set one up before and can put forth ideas to your practice nurse colleagues who are still in the planning stages of setting up a clinic? Perhaps you have set one up and are seeking inspiration on the ongoing management of your clinic. This session will provide a forum for practice nurses to discuss and evaluate their ideas on this important topic.

IT Management: Steps Towards a Paperless Practice
Learn how to set up and maintain efficient systems to organise all of the people and steps involved in relation to running a variety of medical software programs. This session will include advice on how to create and use auto text entries and effective shortcuts, general tips and tricks to make use of your practice’s software most efficiently, and handy suggestions to help you work towards a paper free practice.