Competencies for nurses working in primary health care

Primary care represents the first level of personal health care services in the community, which ensures accessible, continual, whole-person care for health needs throughout an individual’s lifespan. Primary care professionals work with patients and their families to address their immediate and long-term health needs and not just for a set of specific diseases with an approach that addresses the broader determinants of health and the interrelated aspects that influence people’s physical, mental, and social well-being. Nurses have a key role to play in primary care in expanding, connecting and coordinating care. Through their training and work, they are well placed and have been shown to provide safe and effective care in disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, management and rehabilitation. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance and inspiration for policymakers, instructors, managers and clinicians