Nurses in urban and rural general practice. Who are they and what do they do?

BACKGROUND There is limited information about general practice nurses in Australia and the role they play. METHODS A qualitative study, using semistructured interviews conducted with 27 general practitioners and 15 practice nurses (PNs) from 19 general practices in New South Wales. RESULTS Practice nurses are typically middle aged women, employed part time with extensive professional experience. Their role is influenced mostly by the demographic characteristics of the practice population, their expertise, and GPs' attitudes and past experiences of working with PNs, rather than the size or urban/rural location of the practice. DISCUSSION Practice nurses are an important, but not always fully used, resource in general practice. They can reduce the workload of GPs, extend the range of services provided and enhance the quality of primary health care. Their current and potential contribution to primary care needs to be documented and evaluated more fully.