These comprehensive workbooks guides nurses new and transitioning to general practice or aged care through key components of these areas of nursing, and will ensure a thorough understanding of the many facets of these primary health care settings.
Learning on the go with APNA online learning
Primary health care is any medical service that is provided outside the four walls of a hospital, including aged care, community health, general practice, custodial, schools and many other primary health care settings. Australia's 98,000+ primary health care nurses play a critical role in disease prevention and control to keep people healthy. They provide proactive care and health promotion to keep Australians well.
Prue Baum, APNA Nurse Manager – Special Projects & Promotion
When Florence launched in May this year, the vision was clear: create a smarter, more personal way for nurses to capture their learning, connect with opportunities, and gain recognition for the professional development they are already doing every day. Just a few months in, the results are encouraging and the insights from nurses using Florence are shaping its future.
One of the strongest themes emerging is that nurses want their learning and growth to be seen and valued. Whether it’s a podcast listened to on their commute, a conversation with a mentor, or a structured course, nurses are constantly learning in ways that go beyond certificates. Florence makes it easy to capture these moments and, in turn, recognise them as part of continuing professional development (CPD).
The response to Florence shows that nurses welcome a platform that validates what they already do. By offering quick and full capture options with reflections, Florence meets nurses where they are, providing flexibility whilst maintaining structure.
Another lesson has been the value of simplicity. Nurses are busy, and tools that take too much time or feel like extra work risk being abandoned. Florence has shown that streamlined capture, requiring just a few taps to record learning, makes professional development manageable. Nurses have told us that having a single place to record learning across different formats is not only convenient, but it also reduces the frustration of scattered systems and forgotten logins.
We’ve also been able to import previously documented CPD for APNA members where possible. Having everything in one place is valuable, and nurses are grateful for that, regardless of who the provider is.
Trust is central to Florence’s success. Nurses have expressed appreciation for the moderation process, which ensures that CPD resources in the library lead directly to high-quality, relevant content, ensuring meaningful links. Florence sets itself apart as a platform designed for nurses.
This moderation reassures nurses that they’re not wasting time chasing dead links or irrelevant material. The ability to provide feedback builds confidence in the platform and encourages repeat use.
Florence’s early adoption has been strong and fast out of the gate. We are nearing 5,000 users who have already captured over 23,000 pieces of content. We have imported past CPD records for APNA nurses, ensuring continuity of learning.
Education providers are also engaging. So far, they have requested over 250 QR codes to include alongside their content, making it easier for nurses to capture CPD instantly from events, workshops and publications. This uptake signals that Florence is being embraced as a trusted bridge between education providers and nurses.
Perhaps one of the most exciting learnings is how nurses shape the Florence library. Many are entering links to online modules, courses, videos, podcasts and articles they find valuable. This peer-driven approach means the library reflects what nurses genuinely engage with.
We’ve noticed that some nurses initially add links to provider homepages rather than specific course pages. This has highlighted the importance of clear capture guidance and the ongoing opportunity to work with education providers to create direct, nurse-friendly pathways into their content.
So far, Florence has proven that nurses value recognition, simplicity, trust and community-driven content. But we also know this is just the beginning. The next stage is about deepening engagement, refining capture processes, building partnerships with education providers and exploring how Florence can surface richer insights for individuals and the profession.
Florence began with a simple question: What if every nurse had a place to track learning without chasing certificates or ticking boxes? The answer so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Nurses are ready for something better, and Florence is here to grow with them.
If you haven’t tried Florence by APNA yet, go to https://www.florence.today/.
You can add APNA-Member Professional Indemnity Insurance to your membership, when you join APNA.
