NATIONAL STUDY TO MAP PRIMARY CARE NURSING, INFORM FUTURE HEALTH POLICY
A landmark study launching in 2025 will provide teh first real-time national map of clinical practices among nurses, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and health practitioners across Australia. the Occasions of Care Explained and ANalysed (OCEAN) study aims to deepen understanding of primary health care and strengthen workforce planning, health policy, education, and patient outcomes.
Led by Professor Liz Halcomb of the University of Wollongong (UOW), the project will function as a census of the primary care nursing workforce, collecting data on the clinical care provided in general practice settings.
“In a world first, this study will act as a census of the primary care nursing workforce, collecting data about the clinical care provided by nurses and nurse practitioners in general practice,” Professor Halcomb said. “Data produced from this project will shape the future of nursing in general practice, Aboriginal Medical Services and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, equipping our health system for the challenges ahead.”
Researchers will record data as it occurs, documenting patient types, health problems managed, diagnoses, and treatment actions. UOW Research Fellow Dr ruth Mursa emphasized the study’s ability to link patient interactions with specific interventions. “when health practitioners can see patterns as they happen, it strengthens every decision, from staffing and training to patient support, and ensures care keeps pace with both population growth and complexity.”
The OCEAN study is funded by the Federal Government’s Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and involves researchers from UOW (Professor Halcomb, Dr Mursa, Professor Sue Randall, Dr Jason Zhang and PhD candidate Asha Beattie), the University of Sydney, and the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners.
