Christine Phillips, Medical School, Australian National University Funding: Supported by the PHCRED Strategy and APHCRI stream funding Team members: Julie Porritt and Rachel Yates (AGPN), Dr Chris Pearce, Dr Kathryn Dwan, Sally Hall, Professor Marjan Kljakovic, Professor Bonnie Sibbald

The range of nurses’ skills and roles in Australian primary health care (PHC) has been fully identified by this large-scale and unique project. The number of practice nurses employed in Australian general practices rose from just under 5000 to nearly 8000 during the three years of this study. Until now there has been little detailed research exploring their role and contribution to general practice and the delivery of PHC.

Using an innovative mix of research methods in 32 general practices across five states, this study found nurses have six key operating roles in general practice:

1. patient carer
2. quality controller
3. organiser
4. problem solver
5. educator
6. agent of connectivity

These findings confirm nurses’ importance to key directions in PHC policy and services, including integrated and coordinated chronic disease and preventive care, safety and quality, and a flexible, welltrained workforce. By pinpointing current barriers to and determinants of the nurse’s role, the study also identified ways to enhance nurse roles and capitalise on their skills.

The project’s inter-sectoral collaboration between three universities and the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) brought significant benefits. It ensured the policy relevance of the study’s pragmatic recommendations and made possible a greater dissemination and appreciation of the research by policymakers and service providers. Its findings are prompting a range of policy and professional activities aimed at making the most of the competencies of practice nurses for optimal PHC delivery.