Help us build a profile about the work of nurses in Australian general practice!

This pilot study involved testing an online electronic data collection tool called OCEAN (Occasions of Care Explained and ANalysed). The OCEAN tool has been created for use in several planned projects about the clinical activity of nurses and allied health professionals working in general practice. The OCEAN tool has undergone technical testing and the pilot study provided a stress-test how OCEAN will work in real-time.

Why is the OCEAN study being done?

Research in general practice has historically focused largely on the roles of general practitioners. However, effective primary care relies on a range of health professionals, including general practice nurses (GPNs). There is currently no comprehensive way to capture data on the clinical contributions of GPNs and the value they bring to multidisciplinary team-based care. OCEAN provides an exciting opportunity for nurses working in general practice to highlight the value of their work.

What did the pilot study involve?

We recruited approximately thirty GPNs to complete the OCEAN pilot study. Everyone who took part was asked to complete the following:

• a Professional Profile – a survey that asks about the nurse’s education, skills, experience and scope of practice
• an encounter form for each of 100 patient encounters (equalling 100 encounter forms in total)
• a feedback survey.

Who was eligible?

Only nurses working in a general practice in Australia were eligible to take part in this pilot study.

Do I need to complete all 100 encounters?

Yes, please! Recording details of 100 consecutive encounters allows us to get a good overview of your clinical practice. As we intend for the main OCEAN study to consist of recording 100 encounters, it’s important that we test this in the same way for the pilot study. If you feel like you will struggle to complete all 100 encounters, please contact our research team on 1800 2OCEAN (1800 2 62326) and we’ll do our best to help.

What comes after the pilot study?

This pilot study was conducted to plan and prepare for a larger study about the work of nurses in general practice in Australia. We expect that the larger study will be rolled out in the second half of 2025.