Effectiveness of Nursing Process Use in Primary Care

Purpose To determine whether patients assigned to primary care nurses who use the nursing process (use of NANDA-I, NIC, and NOC) achieve better intermediate health outcomes than the population assigned to nurses who do not use the nursing process. Methods This is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in 34 primary healthcare centers of Area 11 of the Community of Madrid (Spain) based on electronic health records. Findings The extension of health care provided was greater in nurses who used the nursing process. Patients assigned to these nurses have better control of their chronic diseases and incur lower drug costs. Conclusions The use of the nursing process can lead to improved health of populations. Implications The development of strategies is necessary to ensure greater use of the nursing process among nurses in primary care.