Nursing intervention in care homes: district nurses' views

Nursing need within residential care homes has been reported as increasing for the district nursing workforce (Audit Commission, 1999). This report presents the findings from a small exploratory study to discover the views of district nurses regarding a project to provide nursing care to clients in residential care homes. Named nurses work within some of the homes in the city on specified days and are available to carry out nursing interventions required by clients, thus precluding the need for a member of the district nurse team to visit on that day. The background to the study is discussed, followed by the qualitative research methodology used. Three broad themes emerged from the findings: roles and responsibilities, communication and organisational issues. Each of these is discussed and recommendations suggested with a view to enhancing the potential benefit of the project for its users.