Interviews with Community Healthcare Registered Nurses in Norway: Examination Practices and Clinical Evaluation Processes

Abstract

Community healthcare nursing is "nursing that takes place outside of a hospital or institutional settings" (St John & Keleher, 2020, p. 4) and has become increasingly complex. The number of comprehensive and complex patient cases has continued to rise due to an ageing population characterized by a higher prevalence of chronic health conditions. The patient population that receives community-based nursing care in Europe is characterized by multi-morbidity, polypharmacy and/or cognitive impairment (Bing-Jonsson et al., 2016). This combination leaves many elderly patients in frail mental and physical conditions with a high risk of adverse outcomes if their need for nursing care is not properly met. | BACKG ROU N DTo provide health care for patients in the community healthcare sector, each of whom is unique and has complex conditions, nurses must have advanced knowledge and skills (meaning that they possess