Practice nurses' needs for education since the advent of the new GMS

The provision of education for pactice nurses has been poor historically (Stilwell, 1991). Until about 1998 they had no nationally recognized qualification; as a result, courses were often provided in an uncoordinated way and varied considerably in content and quality from region to region (Prime, 2003). In addition, practice nurses have usually been independently employed by GPs and have therefore put together their training in consultation with their employers, whose priorities were naturally dictated by the demands of their practices (Carey, 1996; Hawksley, 1997). While this approach may produce nurses well trained for a particular role, there is a great disparity in educational standards and opportunities for professional development among the group.