Bentley, Michael, Minstrell, Melinda, Bucher, Hazel, Sproule, Lisa, Robinson, Andrew, and Stirling, Christine
Background Developed countries face increasing challenges to providing health care services for ageing populations, and new models of care and workforce practices are needed to address these challenges (Arbon et al. 2008). Although nurse practitioner (NP) roles are diverse (Carryer et al. 2007, Gardner et al. 2010), the potential role for aged care NPs working in primary care is relatively new (Arbon et al. 2008). Aims This study aimed to describe the implementation and challenges for the development of an aged care NP role within general practice. This paper reports on part of a larger study on the role of aged care NPs in primary health care, dementia and mental health services. Methods A mixed methods design was used to analyse the work of the NPs and challenges to the development of their role in general practice. The study followed two NPs in a general practice over the period from January 2012 to February 2014, with one experienced NP mentoring and transitioning responsibility to a newly endorsed NP. Both NPs worked part-time at the practice and were funded by the project. The NPs developed a business case for sustaining the NP role beyond the project funds during this time. Two researchers conducted repeated, semi-structured interviews with the NPs on their progress and challenges on implementation over the study period. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Clients' episodes of NP care within general practice were de-identified and specific clinical (diagnosis, purpose of visit, actions taken) and demographic (age and sex) details extracted by the NP and entered into an SPSS database (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) for descriptive and content analysis. The purpose of the visit and the actions taken by the NPs were used to analyse the work undertaken by the NPs. The patient/client-related work of the NPs was classified as direct care (activities performed for and in the presence of the patient/family, including explanations given to the patient/family/caregiver about these activities) and indirect care (activities performed away from the patient but on a specific patient's behalf, including coordination of care, collaboration with other health care professionals and documentation) (Gardner et al. 2010). Ethics approval was granted by the Tasmania Social Sciences Human Research Ethics Committee. Results The NPs saw 168 clients ranging from 29-99 years of age, the majority presenting with multimorbid conditions. Table 1 provides a summary of the demographic and clinical details of the clients consulting with the NPs. In the older (age ≥ 65 years) client group (n = 109), 19 clients (17%) were diagnosed with dementia and 7 (6%) with mild cognitive impairment. Seventy-three clients (67%) presented with multimorbidity - two or more multimorbid conditions as defined by the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale domains (Britt et al. 2008). Twenty-two (85%) of the clients with dementia/mild cognitive impairment had multimorbidity. One NP implemented a targeted weight loss programme, which engaged 43 clients (aged 29-79 years) during the last three months of the data collection period. Nurse practioners provided direct and indirect care. Direct patient care involved cognitive assessments, patient assessment and reviews, ordering and/or reviewing tests and medications, and liaising with family members. Indirect care comprised documentation and letters, and referrals to/coordinating care with other health professionals. The NPs' referrals included geriatricians, GPs, allied health professionals (e.g. physiotherapists, dieticians), social services (e.g. home care), and dementia support programmes. It takes time to develop collaborative practice between general practitioners (GPs) and NPs, with better understanding of respective roles and experience of working together being significant factors that improve collaboration (Schade-waldt et al. 2013). The implementation of the aged care NP role in the general practice required negotiation with practice managers, GPs and practice nurses. It was important 'to get a meeting with the practice managers so that we can start planning up a model ... we've got two years' (NP). The NPs reported several challenges to developing their role, including time to establish rapport and trust with the GPs and other staff in the general practice, regular access to consulting rooms and limitations arising from the part-time nature of the role (e.g. not being able to follow up in a timely manner). Initially, the NPs conducted many off-site and telephone consultations. Most of these encounters took place in clients' homes and in residential aged care facilities. The majority (74%) of these clients (median age = 85 years) presented with multimorbidity, particularly combinations in two or more of the cardiac, vascular, psychological, respiratory and muscu-loskeletal domains (Britt et al. 2008). The NPs perceived the acknowledgement by GPs that NPs, through their expertise and knowledge, were able to provide a consultative service to people in residential aged care facilities and the community: ... most of [the GP's] patients were in this particular nursing home and because he was the one going [to see them in the home, he said], "here's my nursing home patients, here's some in the community. Off you go, get started." (NP) In 2013, the general practice expanded and made more consulting rooms available to the NPs. One NP now has regular consulting rooms in the practice and is able to exercise professional autonomy, which is central to the NP role (Carryer et al. 2007). This resulted from the development of a successful business case for an aged/primary care NP role in general practice, which included NPs undertaking independent client assessments and reviews, and the implementation of specific programmes such as healthy ageing and weight loss. As one of the NPs remarked, configuring the NP role in this way involved 'aged care straddling into primary care'. Conclusions and relevance to clinical practice The implementation of an aged care NP role in general practice was achieved to some extent through building partnerships, particularly in specialised aged care assessment, and in creating a primary care role focussing on healthy ageing lifestyle programmes and disease management. The hybrid aged/primary care NP role offers opportunities for coordination between aged care and general practice, given an ageing population and the increasing burden of chronic conditions. A sustainable, professionally supported, combination aged care NP role can add value to general practice with the provision of cost-effective, holistic primary care but must augmented by independent practice opportunities for the NP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]