Through national leadership and support for the NiGP Program and our continued role in the provision of policy advice and promotion of the practice nurse role at the national level, AGPN has achieved significant contribution to the advancement and promotion of nursing in general practice. Some key achievements include:

• publication of the National Practice Nurse Survey Report 2006, the only comprehensive national information and statistics of the general practice nurse workforce. The survey results revealed a 23% increase (n4924) in the number of practice nurses employed in general practice 2003-2005, with 57% of general practices nationally employing one or more nurses.
• preparation of a position statement on Nurse Practitioner in General Practice endorsed by the network, in response to discussions surrounding alternate models for health care workers.
• contribution to an expert working group convened by the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute, to develop the common pool performance indicators for divisions on nursing in general practice.
• development of the Business Case Models for Nursing in General Practice. A comprehensive package of information on the benefits and financial implications of employing a nurse in general practice.
• provision of expertise to other national general practice nursing projects including the development of competency standards for nurses in general practice, the revision of the Royal College of Nursing Australia Guide for the General Practice Team, and the scholarship program for practice nurses administered by the Australian Practice Nurses Association.
• production of a range of promotional materials for general practice nursing including posters and information brochures for consumers, practices and nurses.
• publication of the Nursing in General Practice Recruitment and Orientation Resource – a guide for general practices, practice nurses, and divisions of general practice. The resource provides GPs and practice managers with an overview of the possible roles nurses can perform in general practice and addresses the questions most commonly asked regarding recruitment and orientation process. The resource has also been designed to support nurses new to general practice to understand the working environment.
• introduction of a Leadership and Development Program for practice nurses delivered through the University of New England Partnerships.