Speakers - 2027

Despite national endorsement of the Nurse Practitioner (NP) role in Australia since 2000 and growing policy recognition of NPs as critical to primary health care (PHC) sustainability, the pathway from Registered Nurse (RN) to endorsed NP within PHC settings remains fragmented, individually negotiated, and poorly supported at the system level. A scoping review was completes of the two decades of Australian evidence mapping RN-to-NP transition experiences, organisational readiness, and workforce integration across general practice and PHC. Researched utilising MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, and Google Scholar, supplemented by government, regulatory, and professional body publications, to August 2025. Ninety-four sources were analysed using interpretive thematic synthesis, informed by implementation science, transition theory, and advanced practice nursing frameworks. Findings demonstrate that NP-delivered care in Australian PHC is safe, acceptable, and valued within multidisciplinary teams. However, RN-to-NP transition was consistently described as variable and poorly supported, with progression dependent on individually sourced supervision, mentorship, and organisational goodwill. Organisational readiness, funding structures, mentorship access, and education-practice misalignment were identified as key determinants of NP workforce sustainability — findings mirroring transition challenges documented internationally, including in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. These findings directly informed a planned intervention: an industry-embedded RN-to-NP Transition Model under development through an MPhil/PhD research program at Charles Sturt University. The model will be implemented and evaluated in Australian general practice settings, examining NP candidate preparedness, stakeholder perspectives, and economic feasibility. This research offers an evidence-informed, replicable framework for NP workforce development applicable across diverse health systems internationally.

Audience Take Away Notes:

Attendees will gain a synthesised overview of Australian evidence on RN-to-NP transition gaps in primary health care and insight into a planned industry-embedded transition model, with implications for workforce policy and advanced practice nursing internationally