This report outlines the development of primary health care nursing in New Zealand since the introduction of the Primary Health Care Strategy (PHCS) in 2001 (Minister of Health 2001).
The report is part of the Evaluation of the Implementation and Intermediate Outcomes of the Primary Health Care Strategy undertaken between 2003 and 2008 by the Health Services Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, and CBG Health Research Limited, Auckland.
Purpose
The aim of the report was to explore the development of primary health care nursing since the introduction of the PHCS and in particular to what extent the intentions of the PHCS, as they applied to nursing, had been met.
The report includes; a review of literature and previous reports on primary health care nursing; semi-structured interviews with Primary Health Organisation (PHOs), general practice staff and other key stakeholder organisations; structured interviews with nurse leaders; and a survey of general practice staff.
Key Results
The two factors that have most influenced the expansion of the nurses' roles are; where PHOs and practices have embraced the intentions of the PHCS and adopted a population health approach, with new models of care and increased collaboration between primary health care teams; and where PHOs have recognised the potential of additional funding associated with specific services that are largely nurse-led.