title: An exploration of the contribution of the community nurse to rehabilitation.
abstract: In all the recent discussion of the need to improve the co-ordination and delivery of rehabilitation services for older people, community nurses often feel, with some justice, that their potential contribution has been overlooked. So this paper is timely in its focus on an area of nursing practice that is ripe for development. The researchers used a grounded theory approach to the analysis of data generated by focus group discussions and individual interviews with district nurses. The results indicated that community nurses described their practice as 'holistic' in combining both health and social aspects. They were involved in making assessments, referrals, teaching and educating, and providing technical care. Despite this major contribution, many of the nurses felt that their role in rehabilitation was not clearly defined or accorded sufficient recognition by other service providers.