The Primary Care Nurse Training & Preceptorship Programme is a 1-year Vocational Training Scheme delivered by South Yorkshire Primary Care Workforce & Training Hub.
It is a post-qualification programme for newly qualified and new-to-primary-care nurses who want to start a career in General Practice in South Yorkshire. The programme was awarded the National Preceptorship for Interim Quality Mark for Nursing in Jan 2024, and the Nursing Times Workforce Summit Award for Preceptorship of the Year 2021.
The VTS programme has been evaluated by the Evidence Centre (2023) and Sheffield Hallam University (2022)
“Evidence from the past 4 years suggests that the VTS is helping to achieve South Yorkshire Integrated Care System’s aim of recruiting and retaining General Practice Nurses. This may in turn contribute to meeting the population demand for primary care. 15% of all General Practice Nurses currently working in South Yorkshire have been trained by the VTS” Evidence Centre report
The VTS Fellowship Preceptorship Programme is open to nurses who are newly employed in General Practice throughout the South Yorkshire region.
In addition, there are also 4 one-year training contracts for the November 2024 VTS cohort for nurses who are not currently working in Primary Care. These positions are for newly qualified nurses who would like to receive training to be a General Practice Nurse. The nurses will access the VTS training programme alongside placements arranged for them in General Practice. They will work under their own pin number whilst receiving teaching, mentorship and support from the host practice and training hub team.
The adverts will be sent to those who have previously expressed interest. Primary Care Doncaster will employ all 4 nurses, with the nurses being placed in practices in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham.
Ideally the nurse will have been working in General Practice for 6 months or less.
The comprehensive programme covers both the clinical and non-clinical aspects training, and also delivers preceptorship through one to one visits and clinical supervision. You can see more about the topics covered in the section below.
The VTS programme is fully funded. If the nurse is already employed in practice, there is an additional grant available for practices to claim to support the nurse to be released to attend the training sessions.
The next VTS cohort is due to start in November 2024.
Please note: this cohort will be open to nurses who have recently been employed as a General Practice Nurse in South Yorkshire. We have recently secured funding for 4 additional posts for nurses to be employed on 1 year contracts to access the programme – the advert will be sent to those who have already expressed interest, the deadline is 17th September.
If you are already employed in general practice and would like to reserve a place, please email pcdltd.training-hub@nhs.net
The Programme focuses on four key domains:
Examples of content:
Criteria to apply for a VTS place if you are already employed by a General Practice within the South Yorkshire area (Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley or Doncaster)
If you meet the criteria and would like to apply for a place, please click here
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If you do not already work in General Practice but would like to apply for a place on the VTS training programme on a one year training contract – please click here to express your interest. This is open to newly qualified nurses only.
If you would like to express your interest in future programmes please click here
Training takes place over a 1-year period and will consist of regular full-day sessions out of practice.
The majority of the training is delivered by the experienced Primary Care Workforce & Training Hub clinical team, and some is bought in from external providers.
Training provided offers front-loaded clinical skills (e.g. ear syringing, venepuncture, smear-taking, baby vaccinations,) so that learners can bring practical skills to their work in practice whilst they consolidate the other aspects of their learning.
Regular clinical supervision sessions are delivered throughout the programme, as are Action Learning Sets. Skills are assessed in practice or by an external trainer (e.g. Cervical sample taking) – there are currently no formal exams or assignments.
Primary care-specific clinical nursing and organisational skills plus pastoral and mentoring support is delivered by the clinical team at the South Yorkshire Primary Care Workforce & Training Hub.
We have a fantastic clinical team of experienced General Practice Nurse Educators and Legacy Nurse Mentors managed by the Lead Nurse, Lead Emma Thompson.
Some specialist training is bought in from external partners (e.g. Rotherham Ear Care).
The Nurse Educators and Legacy Nurses provide regular group clinical supervision sessions for all nurses on the VTS programme.
In addition to this, the Legacy Nurses are able to shadow you doing a clinic and offer one to one advice and support to you in your practice.
You will also get to know your peers well. This support is very valuable and often extends beyond the end of the VTS programme!
