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Barriers to developing the nurse practitioner role in primary care-the GP perspective
Ali Wilson1, David Pearson, Alan Hassey
1University of Leeds and Research Capacity Development, Department of Health Research School of Medicine, Leeds, UK.
Family Practice
|November 14, 2002
Summary
General practitioners (GPs) express concerns about advanced nursing roles in primary care, citing potential threats to their status and security. Addressing these barriers is key to integrating nurse practitioners effectively.
Area of Science:
- Primary Care
- Nursing Roles
- General Practice
Background:
- Evidence suggests advanced nursing roles can reduce GP workload and costs without impacting care quality.
- Despite doctor shortages in British general practice, adoption of nurse practitioner roles remains limited.
- Barriers to developing advanced nursing roles in general practice require exploration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate British GPs' attitudes towards the development of advanced nursing roles in general practice.
Main Methods:
- Focus group study with GPs from four diverse general practices in Yorkshire.
- Structured framework used for eliciting views, with recordings analyzed by two independent assessors.
- High inter-rater reliability (K = 0.921) achieved.
Main Results:
- GPs expressed significant concerns regarding the nurse practitioner role.
- Four key themes emerged: threats to GP status, job security, financial security, nursing capabilities (training, scope), and structural/organizational barriers.
Conclusions:
- GP concerns must be acknowledged to foster debate on primary care skill mix.
- Joint educational initiatives and GP preceptorship can enhance understanding of advanced nursing roles' value.