RESUMEN
PURPOSE: This paper presents findings from six community focus groups that addressed the impact of academic nurse-managed centers (ANMCs) on the overall community being served as well as the quality of care provided in the centers. DATA SOURCES: Experts in focus group methodology from a public health institute conducted the six focus groups at ANMCs from four universities in the Midwest. Discussions were guided by nine questions presented to each group. All groups were tape-recorded and transcribed. A total of 37 participants were recruited from the ANMCs and included patients and families, advisory board members, and local community organizations. CONCLUSIONS: Four themes were identified across the six focus groups: valuing patient-centered care, which included two subthemes-continuous specific provider and specific aspects of care; quality of care; increasing access to care/addressing the safety net; and evidence of outreach. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Findings from these focus groups verify that community members do "get it" in terms of the unique aspects of ANMCs. Participants were able to articulate the differences between nurse-managed care and other types of ambulatory primary care. The unique strengths of nurse practitioners were repeatedly articulated as well as the centers' outreach into the community.
Asunto(s)
Actitud Frente a la Salud , Centros Comunitarios de Salud/organización & administración , Enfermeras Practicantes/organización & administración , Práctica del Docente de Enfermería/organización & administración , Atención Primaria de Salud/organización & administración , Adulto , Manejo de Caso , Continuidad de la Atención al Paciente , Medicina Basada en la Evidencia , Retroalimentación Psicológica , Femenino , Grupos Focales , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud , Humanos , Masculino , Michigan , Evaluación de Necesidades , Enfermeras Practicantes/educación , Enfermeras Practicantes/psicología , Rol de la Enfermera/psicología , Investigación en Evaluación de Enfermería , Investigación Metodológica en Enfermería , Calidad de la Atención de Salud , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
A comprehensive evaluation plan was developed to assess the outcomes of a multiuniversity project to support the development of academic nurse-managed centers (ANMCs). The evaluation included measuring ANMC impact on the clients and communities served, on students, and on the sponsoring faculties and universities. This article includes a discussion of the processes used in evaluation plan development, the variables measured, the tools developed to measure selected variables, and a summary of evaluation findings. Recommendations for use of selected evaluation components across ANMCs are presented.