Evaluation of a telephone advice nurse in a nursing faculty managed pediatric community clinic.

INTRODUCTION

Nurse-managed health centers face increasing obstacles to financial viability. Efficient use of clinic resources and timely and appropriate patient care are necessary for sustainability. A registered nurse with adequate education and support can provide high-quality triage and advice in community-based practice sites. The purpose of this program evaluation was to examine the effect of a telephone advice nurse service on parent/caregiver satisfaction and access to care.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental separate pre-post sample design study investigated parent/caregiver satisfaction with a telephone advice nurse in an urban pediatric nurse-managed health center. The clinic medical information system was used to retrieve client visit data prior to the service and in the first year of the program.

RESULTS

Statistically significant differences were found on two items from the satisfaction with the advice nurse survey: the reason for calling (P < .05), and the importance of being involved in decision making (P < .05).

DISCUSSION

A telephone advice nurse may increase both parent/caregiver and provider satisfaction and access to care.