Education of nurses and health visitors in group practice.

A working party on education and training of the family health care team (Royal College of General Practitioners, 1969), drew attention to the need for training in a teaching health centre. The General Nursing Council (1969) in its syllabus has indicated the need for future nurses in training to be introduced to the concept of community care. With effect from 1971 every nurse in training must select one option from psychiatric nursing, geriatric nursing, obstetrics, and community care. With effect from 1975 two options must be selected. Challis and McKinlay (1971) recently described their experiences in a hospital Family Practice Unit teaching student nurses. In a group practice of eight principals working with an attachment of health visitors, district nurses and midwives, and full supporting secretarial staff, a teaching programme has been developed over the past three years for nurses and health visitors. Additional instruction is given outside the centre but this is being reduced as more space becomes available within the centre. Teachers In addition to the eight principals, a trainee medical practitioner and visiting students participate in the courses. The latter are often able to comment with benefit to all participants as they themselves are still very much involved in the learning process. The complement of attached staff is one health visitor with special administrative experience (group adviser), one health visitor with special teaching experience (field work instructor), two health visitors, two midwives, one district nurse, one state enrolled nurse, and one part-time male nurse. The senior receptionist of the group practice (a former midwife) also takes part. The local social services, through close liaison, contribute to some of the courses described later. Lastly, regular consultation with other tutors at county and divisional level, hospital nursing tutors, and college course tutors have been invaluable in constructing the courses. Pupils (1) Student nurses The practice course has been attended by 172 student nurses in their second year of train¬ ing at a local district hospital. They have come from 24 different countries: 1 Zambia The nurses attend once only in groups of six, and stay for two hours, this period being divided into five sessions. The first is taken by a general practitioner, the second by a nurse in the treatment room with a series of patients, the third by a receptionist going round the centre and ending in the common room where the health visitor is waiting for …