Comparison of nephrology nursing interventions across five European countries

Comparing nursing interventions between different countries is helpful towards developing a common nursing culture within Europe. The aim of the study was to compare the frequency of 14 specific nursing interventions indicators across five European countries (Belgium, Scotland, Czech Republic, Greece and the North of England). Data were collected as an integral part of the European Practice Database Project across two cycles (2005 and 2006) involving 172 renal centres. Using Pearson's chi-square and descriptive statistics the frequency of 11 out of the 14 nurse intervention indicators was found to vary significantly across the five countries. Indeed specific nurse interventions such as delegation, telephone consultations and laboratory data interpretation potentially identify where nurse activity is changing in response to pressures such as advancing nurse roles, staff shortages and increased patient demand.