Obtaining consensus about patient-centred professionalism in community nursing: nominal group work activity with...

To report on the development of a ranked thematic list encompassing the positive and challenging exemplars of patient-centred professionalism in community nursing.

There has been little research exploring what 'patient-centred professionalism' means to those working within the healthcare settings. Consensus methods, such as those developed through Nominal Group Work, can help establish the extent of agreement on a particular issue whilst overcoming some of the problems associated with group decision-making.

Mixed methods studying through consultation workshops.

The study took place in South-west Wales, UK between October 2009-September 2010. Thirty-four participants consisting of community nurses (9), newly qualifying nurses (13), nursing stakeholders (6) and members of the public (6) took part in the study. An adapted Nominal Group Work approach was used in five individual consultation workshops: two with community nurses, one with newly qualifying nurses, one with stakeholders and one with members of the public followed by a mixed-group Forum event.

Each of the five workshops resulted in the production of approximately ten positive and ten challenging exemplars of patient-centred professionalism. The thematization of these exemplars allowed the development of eight broad themes. The Forum event then provided a mechanism for ranking the importance of these themes. The patient, community nurse as a person and nursing ethos were ranked as the most important themes by study participants.

The adapted Nominal Group Work approach was a useful method to allow the development of a ranked thematic list that illustrated the important positive and challenging exemplars of patient-centred professionalism in community nursing.