Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Primary Care
Published in: BMC Primary Care 1/2014

Open Access 01-12-2014 | Research article

The evolution of nursing in Australian general practice: a comparative analysis of workforce surveys ten years on

Authors: Elizabeth J Halcomb, Yenna Salamonson, Patricia M Davidson, Rajneesh Kaur, Samantha AM Young

Published in: BMC Primary Care | Issue 1/2014

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Nursing in Australian general practice has grown rapidly over the last decade in response to government initiatives to strengthen primary care. There are limited data about how this expansion has impacted on the nursing role, scope of practice and workforce characteristics. This study aimed to describe the current demographic and employment characteristics of Australian nurses working in general practice and explore trends in their role over time.

Methods

In the nascence of the expansion of the role of nurses in Australian general practice (2003–2004) a national survey was undertaken to describe nurse demographics, clinical roles and competencies. This survey was repeated in 2009–2010 and comparative analysis of the datasets undertaken to explore workforce changes over time.

Results

Two hundred eighty four nurses employed in general practice completed the first survey (2003/04) and 235 completed the second survey (2009/10). Significantly more participants in Study 2 were undertaking follow-up of pathology results, physical assessment and disease specific health education. There was also a statistically significant increase in the participants who felt that further education/training would augment their confidence in all clinical tasks (p < 0.001). Whilst the impact of legal implications as a barrier to the nurses’ role in general practice decreased between the two time points, more participants perceived lack of space, job descriptions, confidence to negotiate with general practitioners and personal desire to enhance their role as barriers. Access to education and training as a facilitator to nursing role expansion increased between the two studies. The level of optimism of participants for the future of the nurses’ role in general practice was slightly decreased over time.

Conclusions

This study has identified that some of the structural barriers to nursing in Australian general practice have been addressed over time. However, it also identifies continuing barriers that impact practice nurse role development. Understanding and addressing these issues is vital to optimise the effectiveness of the primary care nursing workforce.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Nursing and Midwifery Boards of Australia: National competency standards for the registered nurse. 2006, Melbourne, Victoria: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
2.
Australian Nursing Federation: Competency standards for nurses in general practice. 2005, Melbourne, Australia: Australian Nursing Federation
3.
Joyce CM, Piterman L: The work of nurses in Australian general practice: a national survey. Int J Nurs Stud. 2011, 48 (1): 70-80. 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2010.05.018.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Royal College of Nursing: Agenda for Change and nurses employed outside the NHS. 2004, London, England: RCN Direct
5.
Prior P, Wilkinson J, Neville S: Practice nurse use of evidence in clinical practice: a descriptive study. Nurs Prax N Z. 2010, 26 (2): 14-25.PubMed
6.
Redsell SA, Cheater FM: Nurses’ roles in primary care: developments and future prospects. Qual Prim Care. 2008, 16 (2): 69-71.PubMed
7.
Parker RM, Keleher HM, Francis K, Abdulwadud O: Practice nursing in Australia: a review of education and career pathways. BMC Nursing. 2009, 8: 6p-10.1186/1472-6955-8-6.CrossRef
8.
Halcomb EJ, Davidson PM, Salamonson Y, Ollerton R: Nurses in Australian general practice: Implications for chronic disease management. J Clin Nurs. 2008, 17 (5A): 6-15. 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2007.02141.x.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Halcomb EJ, Davidson PM, Brown N: Uptake of Medicare chronic disease items in Australia by practice nurses and Aboriginal health workers. Collegian. 2010, 17 (2): 57-61. 10.1016/j.colegn.2010.04.010.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Halcomb E, Moujalli S, Griffiths R, Davidson P: Effectiveness of general practice nurse interventions in cardiac risk factor reduction among adults. Int J Evid Based Healthc. 2007, 5 (3): 269-295.PubMed
11.
Senior E: How general practice nurses view their expanding role. Aust J Adv Nurs. 2008, 26 (1): 8-15.
12.
Halcomb EJ, Peters K, McInnes S: Practice nurses experiences of mentoring undergraduate nursing students in Australian general practice. Nurse Educ Today. 2012, 32 (5): 524-528. 10.1016/j.nedt.2011.08.012.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Knight AW, Ford D, Audehm R, Colagiuri S, Best J: The Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program: improving diabetes care. BMJ Qual Saf. 2012, 21 (11): 956-963. 10.1136/bmjqs-2011-000460.CrossRefPubMed
14.
15.
16.
Patterson EA, Del Mar C, Najman J: Medical receptionists in general practice: who needs a nurse?. Int J Nurs Pract. 2000, 6: 229-236. 10.1046/j.1440-172x.2000.00213.x.CrossRef
17.
Pascoe T, Foley E, Hutchinson R, Watts I, Whitecross L, Snowdon T: The changing face of nurses in Australian general practice. Aust J Adv Nurs. 2005, 23 (1): 44-50.PubMed
18.
Watts I, Foley E, Hutchinson R, Pascoe T, Whitecross L, Snowdon T: General practice nursing in Australia. 2004, Canberra, ACT: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and Royal College of Nursing, Australia
19.
Joyce CM, Piterman L: Farewell to the handmaiden? Profile of nurses in Australian general practice in 2007. Aust J Adv Nurs. 2009, 27 (1): 48-58.
20.
Joyce CM, Piterman L: Nurse-patient encounters in general practice: patterns in general practitioner involvement and use of nurse-specific Medicare items. Aust J Prim Health. 2010, 16 (3): 224-230. 10.1071/PY10009.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Halcomb EJ, Davidson PM, Griffiths R, Daly J: Cardiovascular disease management: time to advance the practice nurse role?. Aust Health Rev. 2008, 32 (1): 44-55. 10.1071/AH080044.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Halcomb EJ, Davidson PM: Practice Nurse Continuing Professional Development Program Evaluation. 2009, Australia: The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and the Australian Practice Nurses Association
23.
Parker R, Keleher H, Forrest L: The work, education and career pathways of nurses in Australian general practice. Aust J Prim Health. 2011, 17 (3): 227-232. 10.1071/PY10074.CrossRefPubMed
24.
McCarthy G, Cornally N, Moran J, Courtney M: Practice nurses and general practitioners: perspectives on the role and future development of practice nursing in Ireland. J Clin Nurs. 2012, 21: 2286-2295. 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2012.04148.x.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Cotterill-Walker SM: Where is the evidence that master’s level nursing education makes a difference to patient care? A literature review. Nurse Educ Today. 2012, 32 (1): 57-64. 10.1016/j.nedt.2011.02.001.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Drennan J: Masters in nursing degrees: an evaluation of management and leadership outcomes using a retrospective pre-test design. J Nurs Manag. 2012, 20 (1): 102-112. 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2011.01346.x.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Halcomb EJ, Caldwell B, Davidson PM, Salamonson Y: Development and psychometric validation of the General Practice Nurse Satisfaction Scale. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2011, 43 (3): 318-327.PubMed
28.
29.
Halcomb E, Davies D, Salamonson Y: Consumer satisfaction with practice nursing: a cross-sectional survey in New Zealand general practice. Aust J Prim Health. in press
30.
Halcomb EJ, Salamonson Y, Cooper MK, Clausen JL, Lombardo L: Culturally and linguistically diverse general practitioners’ utilisation of practice nurse. Collegian. 2013, 20 (3): 137-144. 10.1016/j.colegn.2012.05.001.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Black DA, Taggart J, Jayasinghe UW, Proudfoot J, Crookes P, Beilby J, Powell-Davies G, Wilson LA, Harris MF: The Teamwork Study: enhancing the role of non-GP staff in chronic disease management in general practice. Aust J Prim Health. 2013, 19 (3): 184-189. 10.1071/PY11071.CrossRefPubMed
32.
Metadata
Title
The evolution of nursing in Australian general practice: a comparative analysis of workforce surveys ten years on
Authors
Elizabeth J Halcomb
Yenna Salamonson
Patricia M Davidson
Rajneesh Kaur
Samantha AM Young
Publication date
01-12-2014
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Primary Care / Issue 1/2014
Electronic ISSN: 2731-4553
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-15-52

Other articles of this Issue 1/2014

BMC Primary Care 1/2014 Go to the issue

Research article

Measuring the ambiguity tolerance of medical students: a cross-sectional study from the first to sixth academic years

Research article

Triggering change in diabetes care delivery in general practice: a qualitative evaluation approach using the clinical microsystem framework

Research article

Chest pain out-of-hours – an interview study of primary care physicians’ diagnostic approach, tolerance of risk and attitudes to hospital admission

Research article

Alignment of patient and primary care practice member perspectives of chronic illness care: a cross-sectional analysis

Debate

Why primary care practices should become digital health information hubs for their patients

Research article

Patient factors associated with SSRI dose for depression treatment in general practice: a primary care cross sectional study