Modelling the complex activity of multiple sclerosis specialist nurses in England

Abstract

Background: Specialist advanced practice nursing in multiple sclerosis (MS) has evolved as a complex activity driven by patient and carer needs. The purpose of this study was to understand the complexity of expert nursing in MS. Methods: Knowledge discovery through data was the underpinning framework. A bespoke data collection tool was used that originated from previously modelled systems. Data was collected and mined. Results: As many as 9050 events over 150 days were collected. No events were excluded from analysis. The work of specialist nurses in MS is complex in terms of the physical (43% of interventions) and psycho-social care (32% of interventions). More than two-fifths (42%) of interventions were delivered over the telephone. Conclusion: The work of nurses specialising in MS care is complex and multidimensional. An understanding of this complexity can be used to establish key performance indicators, optimum caseload calculations and economic evaluation.