With practice nurses doing a wider range of work in general practice their duties and responsibilities have to be clearly defined. By Eamon Merrick, Christine Duffield, Richard Baldwin and Margaret Fry.

Nursing features prominently in the future of Australia's primary healthcare sector. Nowhere is this more evident than in general practice. This is reflected in both the number of nurses working in general practice and their contributions to patient care. The number of nurses working in general practice has increased three-fold in the past 10 years; and in 2009-10 it was estimated that practice nurses were involved in the care of 6 per cent of the patients who attended a general practice. The increase in both the number of practice nurses and how much they contribute to care has, to a large...