Practice nurses in the Waikato, 1991-1992: What was their patient mix and pattern of care?

Abstract

Aims: To compare patient mix and patterns of care provided by practice nurses and GPs in the Waikato. Methods: Data are drawn from two sources for the period 1991-1992 in the Waikato: a survey of patients attending practice nurses, generating a total sample of 1329 patient encounters; an analysis of a 1 per cent sample of visits to the GP equating to nearly 12,000 encounters. Results: Three-quarters of patients attending practice nurses were in their sole care at that encounter. In sociodemographic terms they differed little from those attending the doctor, except that they were more likely to be beneficiaries and female. Nearly half of all these patients presented for an examination, and many had their fee either reduced or waived. For the great majority of patients, contact with the practice nurse involved follow-up for a single problem that was relatively minor and had limited diagnostic uncertainty. Most problems presented were non-symptomatic. Conclusion: While practice nurses saw a cross-section of patients attending the GP, mostly in their sole care, these were predominantly for follow-up work and for non-symptomatic conditions. With the changing circumstances of practice nursing and the possibilities of expanded clinical duties in the future, further research on these patterns of care is needed.