Supporting nurses in primary health care

NiPHC Transition to Practice Program

What is the NiPHC TPP?

APNA's TPP provides an evidence-based framework of education over 12-months to nurses who have transitioned to primary health care and feel they would benefit from additional support.

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, APNA's 2018-2023 Nursing in Primary Health Care (NiPHC) Program has worked to build capacity amongst the primary health care nursing workforce, following on from the 2015-2018 NiPHC Program. Sitting within the broader NiPHC Program, the TPP has been designed to improve recruitment, professional development, and retention of nurses in primary health care. The last group of the NiPHC TPP will run from July 2022 to July 2023. See key dates for NiPHC TPP below.

Who can participate in the TPP?

  1. Newly graduated or experienced nurses who are currently working on average, 14 hours a week (approx 2x days a week), in a primary health care setting and would like additional support during their transition. (Transitioning Nurse, TN) and
  2. Nurses with four or more years experience in primary health care and interested in mentoring (Clinical and Professional Mentor)

By its completion in 2023, the program will have supported a maximum of 190 nurses Australia-wide, having recently transitioned to primary health care. There has been four small intakes over a five year period (2018–2023).

Key dates

Group Application dates Application outcome notification Program Duration Induction workshop
1 Closed January 2019 February 2019 – January 2020 Completed
2 Closed August 2019 September 2019 – August 2020 Completed
3 Closed July 2020 July 2020 – June 2021 Completed
4 Closed May 2021 May 2021 – May 2022 Completed
5 Closed July 2022 July 2022 – July 2023 Completed

APNA has other Transition to Practice Programs running throughout the year. Click the below button to find out more about these programs.

Contact

Rebekah Cox, Program Manager
Deborah Kerz, Program officer
Alisha Komninos, Project Coordinator
transitiontopractice@apna.asn.au | 1300 303 184

Please note this information is subject to change.

The Transition to Practice Program has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health

Program Q&A

APNA has developed a one page information sheet for nurses to give to their managers upon applying for the program, which includes a statement of support to upload with your application (optional for mentors):

​​​​​​Compulsory one-day program induction training for all nurses in the program.

View the education provided in the program

APNA has over 150 education activities for nurses to access

Nurses are expected to complete the 12 core education activities by program end

Education has been divided up as 

  • Core: education crucial for nurses to know within their first 12 months
  • Key: education important for nurses to know within their first 12 months and
  • Optional activities: additional education available in or outside of the program 

Mentors

An experienced registered primary health care nurse (or nurse practitioner) with four or more years experience in primary health care who will support a maximum of two transitioning nurses over 10 months

Mentors will focus on their transitioning nurses' skills development, career, and personal skills development and growth

A minimum of 40 hours of clinical and professional mentoring is to be provided (directly or indirectly)

  • The mentor is supported by APNA throughout the program
  • Mentors are provided with $2,400 per transitioning nurse they support

Small group learning

Where appropriate, the TPP team may deem the circumstances more suitable for a transitioning nurse to receive mentorship via Small Group Learning led by an experienced nurse Facilitator, as an alternative to a one-on-one pairing with a clinical and professional mentor.

Equal to the mentoring relationship, the transitioning nurse will receive direct and indirect contact from their Small Group Learning Facilitator across 10 months, and will be supported to utilise evidence-based practice and to increase their knowledge, skills, competency and confidence in their nursing.

Groups for Small Group Learning, consisting of a maximum of five transitioning nurses, will be facilitated and guided by an experienced nurse, and will predominantly be run through virtual group meetings, focused on collaborative, active learning and engagement.

Like mentors, facilitators are paid, provided with TPP resources, and supported by APNA throughout the program.

Small Group Learning may be deemed most appropriate in instances where transitioning nurse participants are remotely located.

An online self-assessment tool to assist nurses with prioritising and planning their education needs, then tracking their progress, throughout the program

 All participants are required to provide regular feedback about the program to APNA, e.g. submission of a monthly report (template provided by APNA)

All participants are supported by APNA throughout the program

Transitioning nurses must be willing to complete program activities in their own time in addition to any work hours and/or study leave they are able to arrange access to with their workplace.

For the most part, program activities can be undertaken to fit in with the individual's schedule and pacing. Participants conservatively report spending 1-3 hours per week undertaking program activities across the course of the year.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Professional Indemnity Insurance for nurses. Only $149 for 12 months cover.

The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.


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