A collaborative model of community health nursing practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Health Services Research
• Collaborative Practice Models

Background:

• A long-standing strategic partnership between a Western Australian university and a community health service.
• Established using a Practice-Research Model, involving a senior academic as a Nurse Research Consultant (0.2 FTE) since 1998.
• Grounded in nursing literature on collaborative models and partnership development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate community health nurses' understanding and perceptions of the university-community health partnership Model.
• To assess the impact of the Nurse Research Consultant role on nursing practice and professional development.
• To identify facilitators and barriers to the effective operation of the collaborative model.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods evaluation approach was employed.
• Included a brief survey and follow-up interviews with community health nurses.
• Qualitative data analysis focused on identifying key themes regarding the partnership.

Main Results:

• Three main themes emerged: Advancement of learning, Job satisfaction and self-confidence, and Situational opportunity.
• Nurses reported increased understanding of research in practice and confidence in identifying and evaluating best-practice solutions.
• Negative comments related to limited availability of the Nurse Research Consultant and focus on mainstream research priorities.

Conclusions:

• The partnership Model positively influenced nurses' research engagement and confidence in clinical practice.
• The model facilitated the identification and evaluation of best-practice solutions, indicating a positive shift in attitudes.
• Ongoing operational monitoring is crucial to ensure equitable access and address identified limitations.