Abstract
BackgroundThe role played by nurses in caring for children in pediatricians’ officies in the community is crucial to ensure integrated care. In Italy, pediatricians are responsible for the health of children aged 0–14 years living in the community. This study aimed to describe Italian primary care pediatricians’ opinions about the usefulness of several nursing activities that pediatric nurses could perform in pediatricians’ offices.MethodsAn online survey with pediatricians working in primary care in Italy was conducted between April–December 2018. A 40-item questionnaire was used to assess four types of nursing activities: clinical care, healthcare education, disease prevention, and organizational activities. The answers ranged from 1 (not useful at all) to 6 (very useful). Moreover, three open-ended questions completed the questionnaire.ResultsOverall, 707 pediatricians completed the online survey. Participants were mainly female (63%), with a mean age of 57.74 (SD = 6.42). The presence of a pediatric nurse within the pediatrician’s office was considered very useful, especially for healthcare education (Mean 4.90; SD 1.12) and disease prevention (Mean 4.82; SD 1.11). Multivariate analysis confirmed that pediatricians ‘with less working experience’, ‘having their office in a small town’, and ‘collaborating with a secretary and other workers in the office’ rated the nurse’s activities significantly more useful.ConclusionsA pediatric nurse in the pediatrician’s office can significantly contribute to many activities for children and their families in the community. These activities include clinical care, healthcare education, disease prevention, and the organizational processes of the office. Synergic professional activity between pediatricians and pediatric nurses could ensure higher health care standards in the primary care setting.
Highlights
The role played by nurses in caring for children in pediatricians’ officies in the community is crucial to ensure integrated care
Out of a total of 7656 pediatricians working in primary care in Italy [35], potential participants included 5700 pediatricians registered with the Italian Federation of Pediatricians, the professional association of primary care pediatricians affiliated with the Italian National Health Service [36]
Participant characteristics The survey was sent to about 5200 pediatricians working in primary care across Italy
Summary
The role played by nurses in caring for children in pediatricians’ officies in the community is crucial to ensure integrated care. Pediatricians working in primary care, known as ‘family pediatricians’ in Italy [10,11,12], play a key role in the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of every child/adolescent, as well as providing health education and health promotion, with a focus on children’s physical, mental, relational, and cognitive development [13]. They work according to an arrangement made with the Italian public service through a private-public partnership, which involves solo practices or associative forms such as pediatric group practices, associations, and networks. Their offices are open all day during weekdays [11] and, if necessary, they make house calls. To meet healthcare needs on a 24/7 basis, primary care services are organized as integrated systems, where pediatricians are one of the main pillars
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