Primary Health Care (PHC) is a systems perspective for examining the provision of essential health care for all. A multi-disciplinary (MD) collaborative approach to health care delivery is associated with effective health care delivery and care providers’ enrichment. Yet data regarding MD practice within PHC are limited. The purpose of this study was to better understand multi-disciplinary PHC practice. Aims included: 1) describing nursing faculty involvement in PHC; 2) analyzing ways that multi-disciplinary work was enacted; and, 3) recommending strategies for MD PHC practice. With IRB approval, data collection for this qualitative descriptive design occurred by: 1) surveying faculty/staff in a Mid-western nursing college (N=94) about their PHC practice; 2) interviewing a purposive sample of nursing faculty/staff identified with PHC (N=10); and, 3) interviewing collaborating health professionals (N=8). Survey results (30% return rate) were summarized; interview notes were transcribed, and a systematic process of content analysis applied. Study findings identify MD team practice as highly valued because health care issues are complex, requiring different types of expertise; and because team fosters comprehensive, safe care and improved resource use. Shared vision, respect, relationship building and strong leadership facilitate teamwork. Though not a common term, nurses and their collaborators readily associated their practice with PHC ethos. PHC practice requires understanding community complexity and engaging community, family and individual viewpoints. Though supports exist for PHC in the US, participants identified discord between their view of population needs and the health care system. The following interpretations arise from this study: PHC does not explicitly frame health care activity in the US, though some practitioners are committed to its ethics; and, teamwork within PHC is associated with better health care and rewarding professional experience. Strategies to develop MD teams have been identified and knowledge of MD team practice can be applied to nurses’ practice settings.
Session #1181 - Health Systems
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)