ijerph-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Nursing Practice in Primary Health Care

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 877

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Nursing, Paramedicine, and Healthcare Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga 2650, Australia
Interests: digital health; health literacy; health promotion; higher education; human computer interaction; mobile learning; nursing; participatory health; policy; primary health; professionalism; rural and remote health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Nursing, Paramedicine, and Healthcare Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga 2650, Australia
Interests: advanced practice nursing; higher education; impact evaluation; multidisciplinary practice; nurse practitioners; nurse led models of care; policy; professionalism; rural and remote nursing; primary health, research translation; sustainability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nurses in primary healthcare work across a range of clinical settings, including general practice, community health centres, indigenous health services, school-based health, aged care, and outreach programs. The primary aim of this Special Issue is the delivery of high-quality comprehensive community-based healthcare provision that focuses on health promotion, disease prevention, early intervention, the coordination of multidisciplinary care, and the ongoing management of health conditions. It encompasses a person-centred approach, ensuring accessible and equitable care for individuals, families, and communities.

Primary healthcare nurses play a critical role in bridging healthcare gaps, often working autonomously or as part of a team to address workforce shortages and enhance service accessibility. Nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses further extend the scope of primary healthcare by augmenting nurse-led care with the provision of diagnostic, treatment, and prescribing capabilities.

This Special Issue of IJERPH provides an opportunity to examine evidence-based strategies and solutions that enhance primary healthcare delivery in all healthcare settings, including geographically rural and remote areas. We welcome papers that explore the successful integration of innovative healthcare models that improve patient access, the continuity of care, and health outcomes. Submissions focusing on practical and scalable solutions to address workforce shortages—such as new models of care, interprofessional collaboration, and policy initiatives—are particularly encouraged. 

Dr. Carey Mather
Prof. Dr. Kathleen Tori
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • access, equity and sustainability
  • models of practice
  • multidisciplinary health teams
  • primary healthcare models of practice
  • primary healthcare workforce
  • recruitment and retention
  • rural and remote healthcare
  • rural health workforce

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 295 KiB  
Article
Humanized Care in Nursing Practice: A Phenomenological Study of Professional Experiences in a Public Hospital
by Monica Elisa Meneses-La-Riva, Víctor Hugo Fernández-Bedoya, Josefina Amanda Suyo-Vega, Hitler Giovanni Ocupa-Cabrera and Susana Edita Paredes-Díaz
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(8), 1223; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22081223 - 6 Aug 2025
Viewed by 524
Abstract
This study aims to understand the meaning nursing professionals attribute to their lived experiences of providing humanized care within a public hospital setting. Grounded in Jean Watson’s theory of human caring, the research adopts a qualitative, descriptive phenomenological design to capture the perceptions [...] Read more.
This study aims to understand the meaning nursing professionals attribute to their lived experiences of providing humanized care within a public hospital setting. Grounded in Jean Watson’s theory of human caring, the research adopts a qualitative, descriptive phenomenological design to capture the perceptions and emotions of nurses regarding humanized care. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with nine experienced nurses, selected through purposive sampling. The interviews, conducted virtually between July and December 2024, were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method and supported by Atlas.ti software. Four main thematic categories emerged: institutional health policies, professional image and identity, strengths and challenges in care, and essential competencies for humanized care. The findings highlight the critical role of empathy, cultural sensitivity, ethical commitment, and emotional presence in delivering compassionate care. Participants emphasized that, beyond clinical procedures, humanized care requires relational and contextual sensitivity, often hindered by institutional limitations and excessive administrative burdens. The study concludes that nursing professionals are key agents in promoting ethical, empathetic, and culturally respectful practices that humanize health services. These insights offer valuable contributions for designing policies and training strategies aimed at strengthening humanized care as a cornerstone of quality healthcare systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing Practice in Primary Health Care)
Back to TopTop