A qualitative evaluation of New Zealand consumers perceptions of general practice nurses

Abstract

BackgroundAn important consideration in health service delivery is ensuring that services meet consumer needs and that consumers are satisfied with service delivery. Patient satisfaction can impact on compliance with suggested treatments and therefore impact on health outcomes. Comparatively few studies have explored consumer satisfaction with nurses in general practice.MethodsA sub-group of 18 consumers from a larger quantitative evaluation of consumer satisfaction with New Zealand general practice nurses participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Interview data was analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsFour major themes emerged from the data. These themes highlighted that, despite confusion experienced by some consumers regarding the practice nurse role, consumers were happy with the level of care provided by them. Consumers felt valued by Practice Nurses and considered them competent and highly knowledgeable. Findings also convey that consumers appreciate the accessibility and financial benefits of utilising the services of practice nurses.ConclusionsConsumers are highly satisfied with practice nurse service delivery and value their relationships with these health professionals. Consumers revealed that greater clarity around the practice nurse role and their scope of practice may enhance their utilisation. Spreading the message of practice nurses being the right person to deliver care, within their scope of practice, at the right time may have the potential to provide more timely care within the primary care setting.

Satisfaction and comfort with nursing in Australian general practice

“…The current study generates important information to guide the development of the role of nurses working in general practice around their role in chronic disease management. This study confirms findings within the existing literature which demonstrate that health care consumers were generally satisfied with the chronic disease services delivered by the PN (Desborough et al, 2013;Halcomb et al, in press;Halcomb et al, 2013;Mahomed, 2012) However, unlike other studies of consumer satisfaction with PNs which have demonstrated variation in satisfaction as a result of demographic variables such as age (Cheraghi-Sohi et al, 2008;Halcomb et al, in press;Halcomb et al, 2011;Hall & Dornan, 1990), gender (Halcomb et al, in press), or ethnicity (Halcomb et al, in press;Halcomb et al, 2011), this study did not demonstrate a significant difference in either satisfaction or comfort related to demographic variables.…”

“…Several studies indicate that consumers have little understanding of the knowledge level and scope of practice of nurses in general practice (Cheek et al, 2002;Halcomb et al, 2013;Hegney et al, 2004). Consumer attitudes reported in the literature value the nurses' role in general practice but still privilege the position of the general practitioner (Halcomb et al, in press;Patterson, Price, & Hegney, 2005).…”

“…In the United Kingdom, research has shown consumer support for practice nurses (PNs) highlighting that they have more time to listen to patient concerns and are more likely to develop care plans that are suitable for consumers (Poulton, 1996;Redsell et al, 2007). A recently published survey from New Zealand demonstrated that there was general support for the nurses' role in general practice and satisfaction with nursing services (Halcomb, Davies, & Salamonson, in press;Halcomb, Peters, & Davies, 2013). However, qualitative data demonstrated a level of confusion amongst consumers about the exact nature and scope of the nursing role in general practice (Halcomb et al, 2013).…”

“…A recently published survey from New Zealand demonstrated that there was general support for the nurses' role in general practice and satisfaction with nursing services (Halcomb, Davies, & Salamonson, in press;Halcomb, Peters, & Davies, 2013). However, qualitative data demonstrated a level of confusion amongst consumers about the exact nature and scope of the nursing role in general practice (Halcomb et al, 2013).…”

Are nurses meeting the needs of men in primary care?

“…Many of the solutions to address the social determinants of men's health rely on the ability of the health professional workforce to recognise that men have significant potential to take an active role in their health (European Men's Health Forum 2009). A growing body of literature suggests that primary healthcare nurses (PHCNs) play a critical role in ensuring workforce supply and improving the quality of care and consumer experience (Cheek et al 2002, p. 6;Halcomb et al 2013), However, a review of the literature since 1994 found few published works that examine PHCNs meeting the needs of men in primary care or men's view of the PHCN role. The main aim of this qualitative study was to explore the perception of PHCNs in terms of men's health services; the second aim was to describe men's expectation of PHCNs.…”