Two practice-nurse rotas can involve very different work. A request covering planned reviews is not the same brief as one covering a mixture of procedures and same-day appointments. Set out the sessions and capabilities you need before asking someone to commit.
This checklist helps a practice manager and clinical lead prepare a recruitment brief together. It does not provide instructions for carrying out clinical procedures or certify someone’s competence.
List the clinics and the work within them
Write down the dates, start and finish times, appointment structure and patient groups for each clinic. Say exactly what work you need. Nobody can sensibly agree to “do everything”. If the rota includes activities such as immunisation, cervical screening, wound care or long-term-condition reviews, identify each relevant area for discussion and assessment.
Explain whether appointments are already booked and how changes would be handled if a proposed locum does not cover part of the brief. Name any prescribing duties separately. A practice nurse is not automatically a prescriber or an advanced practitioner.
Include time for preparation, records, breaks and handover. Distinguish essential capabilities from duties the existing team can retain, so the cover request can be matched to a realistic scope.
Use the editable brief below to collect these details with the clinical lead. Give each unresolved item an owner and status; completing the file does not certify competence or confirm the booking.
Check registration and role-specific evidence
Use the NMC’s employer guidance and register-checking route to confirm current registration and relevant entries. Match the record to the individual, and review any conditions or restrictions relevant to the assignment. Check any PIN sent to you in a message against the register. It is one onboarding step among several.
Ask for evidence of recent experience and learning relevant to the clinics. The NMC Code requires nurses to work within their competence and complete necessary training before taking on a new role. A general course certificate is not a substitute for assessing the particular duties and local arrangements.
Agree who assesses the evidence, which further questions need answering and how documents will be shared securely. Avoid putting identity documents or sensitive personal information into a general cover-request form.
Sources: NMC: registration guidance for employers · NMC: read the Code
Prepare the room, equipment and systems
Have a practice contact confirm the room and equipment needed for the agreed clinics, including local stock and service arrangements where applicable. Give the nurse access to the current practice procedures and explain where operational questions go. Nobody can find their way around a new surgery in the middle of a full appointment list.
Arrange individual clinical-system permissions and show the nurse the workflows used for records, recalls, tasks and results. Test the functions the role needs. A login screen that opens proves very little. Explain how to report a problem and what happens to appointments if the issue cannot be resolved.
For remote work, describe the particular follow-up or administrative workload and its limitations. Work needing equipment, examination or a procedure cannot be made remote by changing the job label.
Build an induction pack with practice-nurse prompts →
Agree who is available for support
Name the clinical colleague available during the clinic, how the nurse reaches them and the backup route. Identify the operational contact for appointment or room issues separately. Make local emergency, safeguarding and incident-reporting arrangements part of induction.
Build a way for the nurse to flag that a requested task sits outside the agreed scope or available competence. The NMC Code says concerns about being asked to work beyond role, experience or training should be raised. The response needs to come through the practice’s appropriate route, not depend solely on a recruiter reading an email.
Sources: NMC: read the Code
Send a brief someone can assess
Bring the operational and clinical details together before requesting cover. State which matters are confirmed and which still need agreement. If the rota changes after a nurse has expressed interest, send them the revised brief. Their original acceptance does not cover new work.
| Area | Details to include |
|---|---|
| Location and time | Practice or PCN, UK country, site, dates and paid session hours. |
| Clinics | Actual activities, patient groups, appointment structure and relevant experience. |
| Requirements | Registration, necessary qualifications and evidence for the particular work. |
| Readiness | Rooms, equipment, individual access and induction arrangements. |
| Support | Clinical and operational contacts, backup and handover route. |
| Agreement | Clinician pay, expenses, payment, cancellation and confirmation responsibilities. |
- Shift postedGP session, 8:30am to 6pm
- Locum appliedChecks already complete
- Terms agreedRate, duties and cancellation in writing
- Booking confirmedBoth sides get the detailsToday
Compare the full cost of a nursing quote
Record the quoted hourly or session rate, paid hours, breaks, induction and handover time, agreed travel costs and any separate booking fee. Confirm the payment arrangement and compare offers for the same clinics and responsibilities.
Use the cost calculator with “Practice nurse” selected and enter the actual offer. Do not use its illustrative GP session as a nursing rate: the worked example shows arithmetic for a different profession and pension arrangement.
Make handover and the next session clear
Before the clinic starts, agree who receives outstanding actions and where handover is recorded. At the end, use the practice’s approved record and communication process, and make sure the receiving team knows what remains. Keep patient details out of invoices, recruitment messages and personal notes.
Confirm actual hours through the agreed process and record any authorised changes. Ask what should improve for a return visit: unclear room instructions, missing access or a clinic description that did not match the day are all useful operational feedback.
With FindALocum introductions, the practice contracts with and pays the nurse directly. The practice pays a separate booking fee; registration is free for nurses. Sending an enquiry does not guarantee suitable cover or confirm a booking.
Common questions
Can any registered nurse cover a practice-nurse clinic?
Assess the individual’s relevant competence and experience against the actual duties. Registered nurses differ in which clinics, procedures and prescribing tasks they can take on.
Can I request only the clinics a locum is able to undertake?
Yes. Describe a defined brief and identify work that remains with the existing team. Both parties need to agree the scope and any changes before the assignment.
Is a remote nurse session the same as an on-site clinic?
No. State what work is suitable for the agreed remote arrangement, the system access and support available, and how work needing attendance is passed to the practice.
Official sources
Sources checked . Requirements can differ by country, employer and role; use the current guidance relevant to the work.
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