Public health nursing in Ireland: The general practitioners’ view

Present health policy in Ireland is directed towards a shift in emphasis from the provision of services on a hospital inpatient basis to a community or outpatient basis. This study set out to elicit views of general practitioners (GPs) in relation to the home visiting activities of the nursing services in the community. Of the thirty-five (76 %) GPs whose questionnaires were included in the analysis, 88 % were satisfied with the quality of nursing services provided by the public health nurse (PHN) but were dissatisfied with access to service (37%), out of hours service (48%) and communication with PHNs (25%). Eight GPs had contact with public health nurses on a weekly basis, 11 had contact monthly and 14 had contact three monthly or less frequently. For chronic conditions requiring dressings, over 70% of GPs refer to the PHN and when given a choice, 25% of GPs would refer these conditions to a registered general nurse (RGN). Care by an RGN or nurses’ aide for conditions such as monitoring of vital signs, continence care and administration of enemas, was found acceptable by 50% of GPs. The findings indicate that there is need for review of the structure of the nursing services in the community.