Surveying general practice nurses’ communication preferences in Tasmania

Abstract

Objective: To investigate Tasmanian practice nurses preferred means of communication.

Design: A self‑administered postal survey.

Setting: Primary care.

Subjects: In this study a practice nurse was classified as: (a) a trained registered or enrolled nurse who worked with/and for a sole GP/group of GPs in a clinical capacity; and (b) self identified as a practice nurse. At the time this study was conducted, this related to 197 nurses.

Main outcome measures: Tasmanian practice nurses preferred means of communication with agencies / organisations outside their practice and between other practice nurses.

Results: Respondents preferred methods of communication were by telephone (68%) and in person (32%), although the latter was not usually practical. The majority stated there should be more communication between practice nurses and were interested in being involved in a state‑wide network. 140 of 197 nurses responded (71% response rate). The Tasmanian practice nurse demographic data was generally comparable to that of other Australian Practice Nurses obtained by the 2005 Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) survey.

Conclusion: Identifying and meeting communication and networking needs of the evolving practice nursing specialty is essential for future developments nationally and internationally, in developing the professional role and support for practice nurses. This will ultimately reduce professional isolation, improve job satisfaction and improve patient care.