Collaboration between family physicians and nurse clinicians: opinions of graduates in family medicine.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether graduating family physicians are exposed to collaboration between family physicians and nurse clinicians during their training, as well as their opinions about shared care between doctors and nurse clinicians in the delivery of patient care.

DESIGN

Anonymous online survey.

SETTING

Two French-Canadian university family medicine residency programs.

PARTICIPANTS

The 2010 and 2011 graduating family physicians (N = 343) from the University of Montreal and Laval University in Quebec.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The extent to which nurse clinicians in graduating family physicians' training milieu were involved in preventive and curative patient care activities, and graduates' opinions about nurse clinicians sharing care with physicians.

RESULTS

Of 343 graduates, 186 (54.2%) participated in the survey. Although as residents in family medicine their exposure to shared care with nurse clinicians was somewhat limited, respondents indicated that they were generally quite open to the idea of sharing care with nurse clinicians. More than 70% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that nurse clinicians could adjust, according to protocols of clinical guidelines, the treatment of patients with diabetes, hypertension, and asthma, as well as regulate medication for pain control in terminally ill patients. By contrast, respondents were less favourable to nurse clinicians adjusting the treatment of patients with depression. More than 80% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that nurse clinicians could initiate treatment via a medical directive for routine hormonal contraception, acne, uncomplicated cystitis, and sexually transmitted infections. Respondents' opinions on nurse clinicians initiating treatment for pharyngitis and otitis were more divided.

CONCLUSION

Graduating family physicians are quite open to collaborating with nurse clinicians. Although they have observed some collaboration between physicians and nurses, there are areas of shared clinical activities in which they would benefit from further exposure and training.