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Evening telephone call management by nurse practitioners and physicians
Nursing Research
|July 1, 1978
Summary
Pediatric nurse practitioners demonstrated superior telephone communication skills compared to pediatricians in managing acute pediatric problems. This suggests nurse practitioners can safely share after-hours call coverage with physician backup.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare
- Nursing practice
- Communication skills assessment
Background:
- Assessing the quality of care in pediatric after-hours communication.
- Comparing the skills of pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) and pediatricians.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the history-taking, disposition, and telephone communication skills of PNPs and pediatricians.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of PNPs in managing common acute pediatric problems via phone.
Main Methods:
- A "programmed mother" simulation involving 148 unidentified calls for common acute pediatric issues.
- Calls were tape-recorded and scored by experts on history-taking, disposition, and interviewing skills.
Main Results:
- PNPs scored significantly higher than pediatricians in history-taking (79.6% vs 52.6%), disposition, and interviewing skills.
- PNPs included 91% of critical history/disposition items versus 55% for pediatricians.
- PNP calls averaged 7.4 minutes, while pediatrician calls averaged 3.2 minutes.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric nurse practitioners possess superior telephone communication and management skills for acute pediatric issues.
- PNPs can safely and effectively share night and weekend telephone call coverage with physicians.