The Role of Nurses in Rehabilitation Interventions to the Ageing Population in Primary Health Care: A Secondary Analysis as a Scoping Review

Abstract Background Due to world population ageing and a rise in non-communicable diseases, there is an increased need for rehabilitation services. Rehabilitation nursing in primary health care is an example of an area of high service need that can benefit from more clarity of the role of nurses to optimize rehabilitation interventions for ageing populations. The objective of this scoping review is to describe the role of nurses in the provision of rehabilitation interventions to the ageing population in primary health care. Methods A secondary analysis of a scoping review was carried out following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Results 68 studies from high- and upper-middle income countries were included and showed that nurses typically had a managerial and clinical role (76%). They worked in multidisciplinary teams in about half of the studies, most often with physical therapists. In total, nurses provided 355 different rehabilitation interventions and mainly assessed person-centered goals and functioning and provided follow-up visits and case management. Nurses had 117 different job titles and little information was available about their educational background and collaboration with other health workers. Conclusion Our scoping review contributes to a better understanding of the key role played by nurses in rehabilitation of the ageing population in primary health care and their collaboration with other health professionals. Matching nurses’ competencies with their level of proficiency is essential to ensure quality rehabilitation care to the ageing population.