Nurse-managed primary care: outcomes of a faculty practice network.
OBJECTIVE
To describe selected outcomes of nurse-managed primary care in a large faculty practice network (FPN) and to use guidelines proposed by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) to evaluate those outcomes.


METHODS
Mission and goals, nursing control, fiscal stability, health care outcomes, and faculty role integration were examined.


CONCLUSIONS
Outcomes show that the FPN directly supports the mission and goals of the East Tennessee State University College of Nursing and is managed by nurse faculty members. The FPN uses earned revenue, grants, and contracts to maintain fiscal stability. Patients are highly satisfied with services, and external and internal audits find the quality of care to be excellent. Students are educated in the centers. Faculty members publish and present research and other scholarly work derived from the FPN.


CONCLUSIONS
This model demonstrates that faculty practice can work, can meet the evaluation components of guidelines of a major national organization, and can contribute to the improvement of health for vulnerable populations.
Edwards
Joellen B
JB
East Tennessee State University College of Nursing, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA. edwardsj@etsu.edu
Oppewal
Sonda
S
Logan
Carol Lee
CL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016294:Models, Nursing; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009096:Multi-Institutional Systems / Q000458:organization & administration; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009731:Nursing Audit; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009734:Nursing Faculty Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013714:Tennessee