Table 1 Description of datasets for rapid appraisal and longitudinal studies

Interviews with nurses

36

Mean length 41 minutes (range, 16-69 minutes)

Interviews with doctors

24

Mean length 27 minutes (range, 12-49 minutes)

Interviews with practice managers

22

Mean length 26.5 minutes (range, 14-60 minutes)

Observation of nurse activity

34

51 hours in 25 practices¹

Photographs of nurse-identified important working sites

35 nurses; 205 photographs

Mean photographs/practice = 9

Maps of practice layout

7 hand-drawn, 18 printed floorplans

Field notes

25

Substudy 2: Longitudinal study of change in the nurse's role (7 practices)

Data collected

Number

Comments

Baseline practice descriptions including genograms, service use patterns, context descriptions

7

Baseline data on nurses' roles in general practices, and practice attitudes to teamwork. Collected during two workshops attended by a GP, manager and nurse from participating practices

Project planning and evaluation documents, with output data

7

These data explored the success of the change in meeting its own goals.

Monitoring interviews with practice staff at implementation and follow-up (at least 6 months after change implementation)

Nurses: 7 during, 6 after change²; Managers: 5 after change; Doctors: 2 after change

Data on the impact of the change process on nurse role(s) from the perspectives of nurses (during and after the change) and managers and doctors (after the change). Practices identified whether a doctor or manager would provide the 12 month interview.

Monitoring interviews with Divisional support staff during implementation and at follow-up (at least 6 months after change implementation)

7 during change; 7 after change

Data explored the impact of the change process on nurse role(s) from the perspective of the external support worker