Nursing contributions to chronic disease management in primary care.
BACKGROUND
As the prevalence of chronic diseases continues to increase, emphasis is being placed on the development of primary care strategies that enhance healthcare delivery. Innovations include interprofessional healthcare teams and chronic disease management strategies.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the roles of nurses working in primary care settings in Ontario and the extent to which chronic disease management strategies have been implemented.


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of primary care nurses, including registered practical nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners, in Ontario between May and July 2011.


RESULTS
Nurses in primary care reported engaging in chronic disease management activities but to different extents depending on their regulatory designation (licensure category). Chronic disease management strategy implementation was not uniform across primary care practices where the nurses worked.


CONCLUSIONS
There is the potential to optimize and standardize the nursing role within primary care and improve the implementation of chronic disease management strategies.
Author Affiliations: PhD Student (Ms Lukewich), School of Nursing; Associate Professor (Dr Edge), School of Nursing; Professor (Dr VanDenKerkhof), School of Nursing and Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine; and Professor (Dr Tranmer), School of Nursing and Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Julia
J
Lukewich
Dana S
DS
Edge
Elizabeth
E
VanDenKerkhof
Joan
J
Tranmer
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000451:nursing*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009864:Ontario; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*