The Beginnings

In 1989 The Scottish Practice Nurses Association was formed by a group of experienced practice nurses from all over Scotland who firmly believed in the concept of practice nursing as a provision of specialist care in its own right.

To this end we developed education for others in practice nursing and worked with other organisations to provide relevant courses which were needed to meet the requirements of a rapidly expanding role within primary care.

In 1994 the Association successfully lobbied MPs in a campaign to have practice nursing recognised as a specialist qualification within nursing and the new UKCC Registration qualifications. The campaign at the time was viewed as 'an example of nurses working together to change and negotiate their role within the new government vision of health care'.

April 1995 heralded the successful 'Spirit of Change' Conference at the Heriot Watt University. This conference invited participants from all over the UK and Europe and was the first time nurses had attended from Holland and Switzerland - a tradition which other national conferences have continued.

Over the years practice nurses have given up their time to work for an organisation which they believe in and for others in the same field, providing education and attending national and Scottish Office meetings promoting and negotiating the role of practice nurses within primary care.