Introducing a nurse practitioner: experiences in a rural Alberta family practice clinic.

OBJECTIVE

To report on the experiences of introducing a nurse practitioner (NP) into a rural physicians' clinic in Taber, Alberta.

DESIGN

Case study, grounded theory qualitative approach.

SETTING

A rural community-based family practice in Taber, Alberta.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty relevant stakeholders, including physicians, office staff, Regional Health Authority health professionals and community members.

METHOD

Open-ended interviews supplemented with a patient survey, billing and work time records.

MAIN FINDINGS

Successful introduction of the NP in the Taber clinic relied on: 1) flexibility in the first stages of developing the role; 2) strong connections to key individuals outside the clinic to maintain integration with the community; 3) support and guidance provided by a mentor group who assisted in developing positive working relationships; and 4) cost sharing (matched with benefits) by the clinic and provincial health system for sustainability of the position.

CONCLUSIONS

The NP role in Taber was viewed positively by clinic physicians and other stakeholders because of high patient satisfaction with the NP, billing potential that surpassed salary costs, and increased integration of physician services with RHA initiatives.