What style shirt?

Board nominations are due next week and I really want to encourage all of you to think about nominating. Practice Nurse Board members are a crucial strength for APNA in that we are the only organisation devoted to representing practice nurses needs. And the board will be stronger for diversity in views and fresh perspectives. The organisation will be stronger when members have the opportunity to elect its board members- for that we need more nominees than positions. Board members generally find the experience very rewarding, not intimidating and at times inspiring. So get those nominations in!

On a more fun note - we have been looking at colours and styles of shirts for an APNA shirt that APNA nurses can wear at work which will have the logo and "practice nurse' on it. This is in response to a debate that occurred last year around uniforms and the fact that we want to increase exposure to APNA, recognition for practice nurses within the practice as being a professional clinician not a receptionist but at the same time, many of you saying that you like to have a bit of a uniform - not have to think about what you are wearing. We will have samples at the conference and PNCEs. At the moment we will be offering a pale blue and pale green elbow length shirt in a stretchy cotton with logo and wording on left pocket area. We will have the ability to add colours where there is a demand and different sleeve lengths as we go along. Would love any feedback!

All I seem to be doing at the moment is writing and meeting. Since finishing the Primary Health Care discussion paper submission, I have

1. rewritten a submission to the Department for funding for a patient satisfaction instrument for nursing services in general practice (which looks like being accepted and funded and needs to be completed by end of June!),
2. am trying to finish a submission (due tomorrow) for government funding for an online course in lifestyle risk factor management under the Australian Better Health Care Initiative funding,
3. did a submission to a Victorian Government IT Innovation funding pool for development of a clinical policies and procedures wiki tool - in layman's terms, an Internet site where nurses can contribute policies and procedures they have developed and others (nurses and experts) can correct/amend/download for their own use.
4. providing comments and input into the development of a position paper on nurses roles in primary health care being undertaken by the ANF in collaboration with a number of nursing groups including us. Funding for this project resulted from the Roundtable event we (APNA, ANF and ANPA) organised last year in Canberra for medical and nursing groups, bureaucrats, Ms Roxon etc.
5. attended National Primary Health Care Partnerships meeting which a peak group of primary health care providers - where we did some strategic planning around key issues the group needs to address. Members of this group include AGPN, allied health members organisations such as dietitians, physios, podiatrists etc, dentists, pharmacists, RCNA etc. It is an interesting mix of people.
6. met with various providers of membership type benefits in an effort by new staff member Matt Hall to reintroduce our member benefits program with a range of interesting benefits.

submission in

At 11.57pm on Friday night, APNA's submission to the National Primary Health Care Strategy Discussion Paper went in. A critical piece of work for determining the future work environment and roles of practice nurse, we felt we needed to be a loud voice in this process. Many of you got writing and gave me lots of ammunition and ideas for the submission and I want to thank all of you. if you read the submission I tried to get as many actual quotes and examples as possible in there.
What was really lovely was to receive not just the detailed emails but even the short ones just saying thank you for providing that voice. We are trying to provide that voice for nurses in a policy making space where others such as the GP/doctor groups are far better resourced than we are for staff and money and it often feels like we are not doing enough or doing it well enough. So it makes my day when someone reminds me of the reason we do it- to advocate for members and improve your lot in life.
Earlier this week I attended the Australian Health Care Alliance Health Reform conference which was extremely interesting. There was a very interesting session on teh tuesday afternoon on Primary Health Care- so got my bit in there.....
My father in the Southern Highlands of NSW has been very unwell recently having developed severe Type 2 Diabetes (almost comatose on admission to hospital) and I was reflecting on his situation. He has COPD requiring 24 hr O2 and atrial fibrillation as a result of the damage to his heart from undertreatment of his COPD. The cortisone for the COPD has resulted in the diabetes and he is feeling very sorry for himself. He has had depression previously as well. He is only 69 and an otherwise extremely intelligent, engaged, not 'elderly' person. Well, he is very attached to what he calls 'his' practice nurse. His practice has 2 practice nurses and whilst he likes them both, for some reason he has developed an attachment to Elizabeth (huge thanks Elizabeth if you are reading). Embarassingly he is very proud of me and my role and is very interested in the issues facing practice nurses - he is my very own media monitor ringing immediately there is anything in the papers. He has been trying to get 'his' practice nurses to attend the APNA conference and wants me to make sure 'his' practice nurses get VIP treatment at the conference if they come!! I am not sure that this entails! But all this serves to remind me of the very valuable role you all play particularly for those with complicated comorbid conditions, even if the role is primarily INR testing or whatever. You are someone they can talk to, can provide advice for him when GP is not contactable, make him feel like he is part of a caring health system not a nuisance etc. Dad is lucky to have access to fantastic care delivered through general practice.