New recruit boosts practice nursing development
Wednesday 07 April 2021
A new role has been introduced by NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to drive the professional development of nursing and healthcare support teams in general practice.
Joanna Vintis joins the CCG team as the first practice link nurse, bringing a wealth of frontline experience which will strengthen the professional links between GP practices and the CCG.
The practice nurse link is a commissioned role which supports the executive director of nursing, quality and patient safety in promoting and driving up the professional and clinical nursing standards within primary care.
Working closely with 38 GP practices in Northumberland, Joanna will lead on a range of initiatives aiming to retain and recruit practice nurses and healthcare support workers.
Joanna said, “I’m so thrilled to be offered this opportunity. Practice nursing is my absolute passion. It’s so different from working secondary care in hospital settings as you get to know your patients and help them through each stage of their lives.
“Since I first started my nursing placement I have wanted to dedicate myself to making training invigorating and interesting for new recruits so that they love their career as much as I do. There’s so much to learn in practice nursing and I can’t wait to support the development of our new recruits.”
The link nurse will work with higher education institutes to promote and increase the numbers of nursing placements in general practice and will lead on the development and delivery of the Career Start Practice Nurse programme and Nursing Associates.
Annie Topping, executive director of nursing, quality and patient safety at the CCG said, “I’m so pleased to welcome Joanna to the team. Having worked as a senior nurse in Northumberland for the past five years, Joanna brings a fresh perspective on the continuous workforce development of primary care nursing teams, including the recruitment and support of trainee nursing associates. I’m excited to see how this evolves and develops in the future.”