Abstract

A study was carried out in Queensland, Australia, which aimed to ascertain how comfortable consumers were with both the current and an expanded practice role for nurses employed in general practice. Consumers from metropolitan, rural and remote areas were represented. The self-report questionnaire was completed by 87 females and 19 males. Consumers rated their level of comfort from very comfortable to very uncomfortable on a five-point scale in nurses performing 24 different routine and advanced procedures. They were most comfortable with nurses giving vaccinations and managing treatment of wounds and less comfortable with nurses diagnosing and treating minor illnesses. Overall, consumers were very comfortable with nurses performing what may be considered traditional roles of the practice nurse. They were less comfortable with the more extended roles that are seen more as the traditional role of the general practitioner. However, for no procedure were consumers uncomfortable with nurses performing that task. There were no differences in responses due to consumers' age, sex or previous contact with practice nurses. These results may be used to expand the role of practice nurses to complement the services provided by general practitioners.