Advancing practice by developing a primary care nursing programme.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Primary Health Care
• Advanced Practice Nursing

Background:

• Ongoing discourse regarding the advancement of nursing practice across the health economy.
• Current literature and government policy emphasize the need for practice development in nursing.
• Primary care nursing requires enhanced skills and broader scope of practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an educational intervention aimed at advancing primary care nursing.
• To facilitate nurses' understanding of clients, families, and carers in community settings.
• To support specialist practitioner team leaders in interdisciplinary collaboration and career development.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a novel educational program for primary care nurses.
• Focus on change management, collaboration, and partnership.
• Involvement of staff nurses in program design and delivery.

Main Results:

• The program aimed to improve the standard of care provided by community nurses.
• Enhanced nurses' ability to support specialist practitioner team leaders.
• Empowered nurses to make informed career development choices.

Conclusions:

• Advancing practice in primary care nursing necessitates a multifaceted approach.
• Key elements for success include change management, collaboration, leadership, and staff nurse involvement.
• The educational intervention provided a framework for developing advanced practice in community nursing.