Hypertension screening and management: does primary care nurse involvement affect care delivery?

Abstract

Increasing numbers of RNs are working in primary care settings. Emerging evidence suggests RNs have a significant influence in this workplace. This study investigated Manitoba primary care clinics to determine if the involvement of primary care RNs affected care delivery. To better understand the influence of RNs in this setting, thirty-seven clinics, including fee-for-service and alternate funded clinics, were surveyed. Information surrounding clinic funding model, team composition, hours of operation, geographical location and scope of practice of RNs in hypertension screening and management was obtained. Manitoba Primary Care Research Network (MaPCReN) data was analyzed to determine hypertension screening and management rates. While RNs are frequently involved in hypertension screening, and to a lesser extent in hypertension management, there appear to be opportunities to support role clarity to minimize underutilization, duplication and overlap of roles. These steps could assist RNs to be an integral part in supporting comprehensive primary care delivery.