Task Shifting in a Public Hospital Rhinology Clinic: A Nurse-Led Assessment Process.

IF 2.5 Q4 NURSING

Creative Nursing Pub Date : 2026-08-01 Epub Date: 2026-06-02 DOI:10.1177/10784535261453383

Ellie Shimizu, Sarah Barnett, Mohamedbaqir Rassan, Andrew J Wood

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

BackgroundPublicly funded health services face persistent challenges in meeting demand for specialty care, particularly in rhinology. Task shifting-the redistribution of clinical tasks from specialists to trained non-specialists-may offer a strategy to optimize health-care delivery. This study evaluates the outcomes of a nurse-led assessment pathway within an outpatient rhinology service in New Zealand.MethodsTo address increased demand for rhinology services, a registered nurse (RN) at Waikato Hospital was trained to perform initial assessments for patients referred for undifferentiated chronic nasal symptoms. We describe outcomes of this approach over the initial 18-month period.ResultsA total of 309 patients were assessed through the nurse-led pathway. The average wait time from referral to assessment decreased when compared to the specialist-led clinic. Most patients were discharged with a treatment plan that did not require specialist care. Patient feedback indicated high satisfaction with the nurse-led consultation.ConclusionTask shifting offers a promising solution to address resource constraints in publicly funded health-care systems. Nurse-led assessments can enhance efficiency and optimize care delivery without compromising quality. These findings suggest that task-shifting may be broadly applied to improve outcomes in other resource-constrained health-care settings.

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公立医院鼻科诊所的任务转移：护士主导的评估过程。

公共资助的卫生服务在满足专业护理需求方面面临着持续的挑战，特别是在鼻科学方面。任务转移——将临床任务从专科医生重新分配给训练有素的非专科医生——可能提供一种优化医疗服务的策略。本研究评估了新西兰门诊鼻科服务中护士主导的评估途径的结果。方法为了应对日益增长的鼻科服务需求，Waikato医院的一名注册护士（RN）接受了培训，对转诊的未鉴别慢性鼻症状患者进行初步评估。我们描述了这种方法在最初18个月期间的结果。结果通过护士引导途径对309例患者进行了评估。与专家主导的诊所相比，从转诊到评估的平均等待时间减少了。大多数病人出院时的治疗方案不需要专科护理。患者反馈表明对护士主导的会诊非常满意。结论任务转移是解决公费卫生保健系统资源限制的一个有希望的解决方案。护士主导的评估可以在不影响质量的情况下提高效率和优化护理服务。这些发现表明，在其他资源有限的卫生保健环境中，任务转移可广泛应用于改善结果。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Creative Nursing NURSING-

CiteScore

1.50

自引率

14.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： Creative Nursing is an issue focused journal, unique in its recognition of the values inherent in the nursing profession. Excellence and professionalism are not exclusive to any one discipline or specialty, and the editors of Creative Nursing are dedicated to developing nursing leaders at all levels and in all settings. Today"s health care institutions need creative and innovative solutions. Nurses need to think creatively, to experiment, to take risks, and to innovate. Creative Nursing promotes best practices in all aspects of caring--caring for self, patients, families, colleagues, and communities.