title: The advanced practice nurse in primary care: responsibility for reporting infectious diseases.
abstract: Advanced practice nurses are increasingly practicing in primary care settings where they are diagnosing and treating infectious diseases. Care is not complete until these conditions are reported to the local health department. Reporting is not optional--it is the law in every state. This article critiques case studies where disease reporting did not occur, reviews the evidence on noncompliance with reporting laws, discusses reasons for reporting, describes how state laws vary with respect to reporting, and presents steps to assist the advanced practice nurse in reporting infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, USA.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Grimes
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Grimes
mesh_terms: D018563:Disease Notification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016357:Infection Control Practitioners / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008297:Male; D009720:Nurse Clinicians / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States