With one in two Australians living with one or more chronic conditions, a pressing need has arisen for a structured model of care that puts preventive healthcare at the centre of care delivery.
Nurse leaders in primary care settings are critical to the prevention and management of chronic conditions across Australia. They can empower Australia’s largest group of health professionals to deal with the growing pressure on the healthcare system — particularly on overburdened hospitals — and improve patient outcomes.
Efforts include raising awareness of the integral role primary care nurses play in the nation’s overall health: advocating for policies and reform that increase funding for the sector; fostering access to training programs and professional development; and embedding integrated approaches into care delivery models.
The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association is Australia’s body for nurses who work outside a hospital setting. The association says it is crucial that governments and stakeholders enable primary care nurses to work to their full scope of practice.
Combating the rise of chronic conditions
In its National Preventive Health Strategy 2021–2030, the Australian government warns of a reversal in overall health if we do not focus more attention on preventive health and health promotion. For instance, the prevalence of chronic conditions has risen in the past 50 years, with mental and behavioural conditions (26.1%), back problems (15.7%), arthritis (14.5%), and asthma (10.8%) the most common.
In addition, many patients present with more than one chronic condition. In addition, Australians living in areas of most disadvantage were more likely to have two or more chronic conditions: one in almost three (28.4%) compared with one in eight (16.1%) for those living in areas of least advantage. In rural and remote communities, the rates of potentially avoidable deaths as well as potentially avoidable hospitalisations are up to three times higher.
It is estimated, however, that 38% of the burden of chronic diseases — 49% among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people — could be prevented through reductions in such factors as obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet, and alcohol and other drug use.
Clinical skills and training drive better outcomes
Nurse leaders play a critical role in shaping the future of primary care nursing by providing mentorship, education, and professional development opportunities for nursing staff. They recognise the unique position primary care nurses hold in the promotion of public health and patient education, and the roles they play in delivering care across diverse settings such as general practice, community health, schools, and aged care and are typically the first contact Australians have with the healthcare system.
Nurse leaders should ensure that primary care nurses be equipped with the necessary clinical skills and knowledge through ongoing professional development, training in evidence-based practice, and by fostering a culture of lifelong learning. By implementing structured mentorship programs, nurse leaders can help both new and experienced nurses alike refine their clinical competencies, improve patient communication, and deliver preventive care.
This aspect of their training is crucial as primary care nurses are instrumental in promoting preventive care and educating individuals, families, and communities about strategies to reduce illness and manage chronic conditions. The strategies include identifying the risk factors outlined in the National Preventive Health Strategy and helping patients modify behaviours that could lead to long-term complications.
Primary care nurses’ ability to deliver effective care gets significantly enhanced when supported by nurse leaders who advocate for policy changes, provide access to advanced training, and ensure that nurses have the resources they need to implement preventive care strategies.
In addition, primary care nurses work closely with patients to develop self-management strategies, which reduces unnecessary hospital admissions for chronic conditions, and otherwise costs more than $300 million a year. Such a preventive approach can both improve health outcomes for Australians and direct funds to where they are needed. In fact, a recent study found that when primary care nurses combine clinical expertise with training in chronic disease self-management, patients felt more supported and more motivated to adhere to treatment plans.
Setting up primary care nurses for success
One of the key goals of Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan is to make primary healthcare “more patient-focused, more accessible and better able to provide preventive health and management of chronic conditions.” While nurse leaders are integral to ensuring those goals get met, they must have the support and funding required to deliver a model of care that provides greater flexibility and enhanced scopes of practice for the benefit of all Australians.
