Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA), Melbourne, Victoria 3205 Australia.
BMC Nurs. 2014 Dec 12;13(1):34. doi: 10.1186/s12912-014-0034-x. eCollection 2014.
This debate discusses the potential merits of a New Graduate Nurse Transition to Primary Health Care Program as an untested but potential nursing workforce development and sustainability strategy. Increasingly in Australia, health policy is focusing on the role of general practice and multidisciplinary teams in meeting the service needs of ageing populations in the community. Primary health care nurses who work in general practice are integral members of the multidisciplinary team - but this workforce is ageing and predicted to face increasing shortages in the future. At the same time, Australia is currently experiencing a surplus of and a corresponding lack of employment opportunities for new graduate nurses. This situation is likely to compound workforce shortages in the future. A national nursing workforce plan that addresses supply and demand issues of primary health care nurses is required. Innovative solutions are required to support and retain the current primary health care nursing workforce, whilst building a skilled and sustainable workforce for the future.
This debate article discusses the primary health care nursing workforce dilemma currently facing policy makers in Australia and presents an argument for the potential value of a New Graduate Transition to Primary Health Care Program as a workforce development and sustainability strategy. An exploration of factors that may contribute or hinder transition program for new graduates in primary health care implementation is considered.
A graduate transition program to primary health care may play an important role in addressing primary health care workforce shortages in the future. There are, however, a number of factors that need to be simultaneously addressed if a skilled and sustainable workforce for the future is to be realised. The development of a transition program to primary health care should be based on a number of core principles and be subjected to both a summative and cost-effectiveness evaluation involving all key stakeholders.
本次辩论探讨了新毕业生过渡到初级保健计划的潜在优势，该计划是一种未经测试但具有潜力的护理人力发展和可持续性战略。在澳大利亚，医疗政策越来越关注全科医疗和多学科团队在满足社区老龄化人口服务需求方面的作用。在全科医疗中工作的初级保健护士是多学科团队的重要成员，但这支劳动力正在老龄化，预计未来将面临越来越大的短缺。与此同时，澳大利亚目前新毕业护士的过剩和相应的就业机会缺乏。这种情况可能会加剧未来的劳动力短缺。需要制定一项全国性的护理人力计划，以解决初级保健护士的供需问题。需要创新的解决方案来支持和留住当前的初级保健护理劳动力，同时为未来建立一支有技能和可持续的劳动力队伍。
本文讨论了澳大利亚政策制定者目前在初级保健护理劳动力方面面临的困境，并提出了一个论点，即新毕业生过渡到初级保健计划作为人力发展和可持续性战略具有潜在价值。本文探讨了可能有助于或阻碍新毕业生在初级保健实施过渡计划的因素。
毕业生过渡到初级保健计划可能在未来解决初级保健劳动力短缺方面发挥重要作用。然而，如果要实现未来有技能和可持续的劳动力队伍，还需要同时解决许多因素。初级保健过渡计划的制定应基于一些核心原则，并应在所有利益相关者参与的总结性和成本效益评估的基础上进行。
