Assessing the Landscape of Quality Care Nursing Metrics in General Practice Settings: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Aim To synthesise current evidence on the development and implementation of quality care metrics for nurses working in general practice. Design A Scoping review guided by Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA‐ScR). Method Articles included peer‐reviewed primary research, published in English between 1989 and 2024, reporting on the development, implementation and evaluation of quality care nursing metrics in general practice settings. EndNote was used for citation management, while Covidence facilitated screening and data extraction by four reviewers. The Donabedian model of quality care assessment (2005) and the WHO tool for primary care nurse competencies (2020) were used to synthesise the findings. Data Sources A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE and Web of Science databases was conducted between June 2022 and June 2024. The search strategy was developed using Population, Concept and Context criteria, with keywords including ‘Nurse’, ‘General Practice’, ‘Metric’ and ‘Indicator.’ Results Eleven studies conducted between 2005 and 2024 met the inclusion criteria. Five studies focused on quality care indicators or measures, and six examined nurse competencies or standards of care. Conclusion Quality care metrics are underutilised in general practice. There is ambiguity in metric terminology and nursing roles, education and primary care systems. Quality care metrics must align with nursing values, with digital technology and leadership as core enablers. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care Adoption of nursing metrics in general practice provides insights into nursing contributions to patient care. Standardising the definitions of nursing care metrics will enable valid and reliable comparisons. Impact Quality care nursing metrics will enable the nurse's role to be manifested in general practice settings in relation to patient outcomes. Reporting Method PRISMA reporting guidelines have been adhered to. What Does This Paper Contribute to the Wider Global Clinical Community? Understanding of the role of the nurse in general practice will support improved quality, safety, policy and governance in general practice settings. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution.