Effect of the Primary Nursing Model on Nurse and Patient Outcomes

Nursing care services constitute one of the fundamental components of health services. Organizing nursing care effectively in hospitals and ensuring continuous care for patients are essential responsibilities of nursing management. Nursing care delivery methods provide a framework for organizing and assigning nursing responsibilities in clinical settings. These methods are closely related to organizational philosophy, nursing management approaches, available resources, and the structure of healthcare services.

Various nursing care delivery models have been developed over time to improve the quality and continuity of nursing care. Traditional nursing care delivery models include total patient care, functional nursing, team nursing, and primary nursing. Among these approaches, the primary nursing model emphasizes accountability, continuity of care, and professional autonomy of nurses.

The primary nursing model assigns a primary nurse to each patient, who is responsible for planning, coordinating, and evaluating the patient's care throughout the hospitalization period. This model promotes continuity of care, improves communication within the healthcare team, and supports nurses' professional autonomy and responsibility. Previous studies have suggested that the primary nursing model may improve nurse-related outcomes such as job satisfaction, role clarity, and professional competence, as well as patient-related outcomes such as satisfaction with nursing care and reduced missed nursing care.

Despite the potential benefits of the primary nursing model, there are limited studies examining its effects in clinical settings, particularly in national healthcare systems. Therefore, evaluating the impact of this nursing care delivery model is important for improving nursing care quality and organizational outcomes.

This study examined the effects of implementing the primary nursing model on nurse and patient outcomes using a quasi-experimental research design. The primary nursing model was implemented in the experimental group units, while the control group continued with the existing nursing care delivery method. Data were collected from nurses and patients before the implementation and at the third and sixth months after the implementation. The study evaluated the effects of the primary nursing model on missed nursing care, nurses' job satisfaction, nurses' roles and competencies, and patient satisfaction with nursing care.

Nurse Participants Inclusion Criteria

• Nurses working in the intervention and control units where the primary nursing care delivery model will be implemented
• Nurses who provide direct patient care
• Nurses who have been working in the unit for at least 3 months
• Nurses who voluntarily agree to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Nurses working in administrative or managerial positions
• Nurses who are on leave during the data collection period
• Nurses who do not consent to participate in the study

Patient Participants Inclusion Criteria

• Patients hospitalized in the intervention and control units
• Patients aged 18 years and older
• Patients who are able to communicate and respond to the questionnaire
• Patients who voluntarily agree to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with severe cognitive impairment or communication problems
• Patients who are discharged before the data collection process is completed
• Patients who do not consent to participate in the study