Facets of private practice nursing: a conceptual model

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Nurses' roles are expanding into diverse professional domains.
• Private practice nursing represents an advanced practice option requiring business acumen.
• Developing business knowledge and skills is essential for nurses in private practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine existing literature on private practice nursing.
• To identify reasons nurses pursue private practice and associated challenges.
• To develop a conceptual model based on the reviewed literature.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases (Pub-Med, Cinahl, Medline, InfoTrac).
• Utilized keywords such as 'private practice', 'nurse entrepreneur', and 'advanced practice'.
• Included analysis of reference lists and conference proceedings for relevant material.

Main Results:

• Identified a scarcity of theoretically based research on private practice nursing.
• Found limited studies, primarily one unpublished theoretical study on private practice nursing in Victoria.
• Encountered numerous anecdotal and personal accounts of nurses in business.

Conclusions:

• Current research on private practice nursing is insufficient to guide policy or educational reforms.
• There is a significant need for more theoretically grounded research in this nursing field.
• Further research is recommended to expand the knowledge base for nurses in private practice.