Nurse satisfaction with working in a nurse led primary care walk-in centre: an Australian experience

Objective The aim of this study was to gain insight into the nursing staff's experiences and satisfaction with working at the ACT nurse led Walk-in Centre. Design and Setting Interviews with nursing staff working at the ACT Walk-in Centre were informed by a phenomenological approach. Questions were developed within inter, extra and intra-personal variables of satisfaction, underpinned by the principles of role theory. Subjects Twelve nurses were interviewed; three nurse practitioners and nine advanced practice nurses. Their ages ranged from 31 to 63 years and they had a minimum of 15 years of nursing experience. Interviews ranged from 30 minutes to two hours duration. Results Walk-in Centre nurses' satisfaction with a number of inter and extra-personal factors was associated with their previous education and experience (intra-personal factors). Role stressors included adapting to autonomy, role incongruity and lack of access to appropriate education, training and sources of collaboration and mentorship. Sources of satisfaction were the autonomous role, relationships with the team and the capacity to deliver quality nursing care. Conclusion Whilst autonomy is valued by nurses, this does not translate to isolation or independence. Autonomy is only a source of satisfaction when coupled with supportive and cohesive professional relationships with both nursing and medical colleagues. Organisations implementing advanced nursing roles must have a comprehensive understanding of the requirements of nursing autonomy to ensure effective role implementation and associated job satisfaction. These findings add impetus to the need for the development of nursing education programs tailored specifically to primary health care.