[Defining the scope of activity of family/community nurses: the experience of the Veneto Region].

Abstract

Defining the scope of activity of family/community nurses: the experience of the Veneto Region.

Introduction: The introduction of the family and community nurse (FCN) in Italy, established by Law 77/2020 and Ministerial Decree 77/2022, strengthened primary care but resulted in heterogeneous regional implementation.

Objective: To describe the Veneto Region's process to define an organizational model for Family and community nursing services (SIFoC) and to develop a standardized catalogue of core FCN activities, improving measurability and governance.

Methods: A regional multidisciplinary working group was established. Semiannual monitoring and benchmarking across Local Health Authorities assessed organizational models, activity volumes, and assessment tools. Initial catalogues (24, then 60 activities) were progressively revised through structured training and consensus meetings.

Results: Monitoring revealed variability in organizational structures, assessment tool use, and activity distribution. The final catalogue included 27 core activities organized by care processes, target units (individual, caregiver, family, community), settings, and delivery modes, thus balancing excessive generalization and over-fragmentation. It explicitly incorporated activities such as population stratification, proactive case finding, case management, therapeutic education, and community-level interventions. Integration into regional information systems has been initiated to enhance traceability.

Conclusions: Defining FCN activities proved to be both a technical and cultural process. The described model enhances visibility, measurability, and governance of community nursing practice, providing a foundation for future evaluation of clinical and organizational outcomes.