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As the nature of health care becomes more complex, physicians and nurse practitioners have less time for this kind of intervention, said Jennifer Granger, MPH, director of clinical affairs for the Connecticut Primary Care Association. One of the things the project would like to find out is whether other clinic staff could be just as effective in handling these interventions.

For Laura Anderko, Ph.D., RN, there is no question as to who is best qualified to help people get on track to a healthier life. She is the principal investigator for the only Prescription for Health grant project awarded to an all-nurse research network.

The Midwest Nursing Centers Consortium, a network of academic-based primary care centers, was founded in 2001. The nursing programs at 28 Midwestern universities sponsor the centers, which operate in nontraditional community settings.

The centers typically care for underserved populations who are uninsured and rely on the centers for all their medical needs.

The centers in the consortium are managed and primarily staffed with nurses. Physicians consult and some volunteer. “If a physician happens to be working at a center, a nurse is [the doctor’s] boss,” Anderko said. “When students come in, they can’t believe how autonomous we are.”

That’s been an asset in conducting the research, according to Anderko, interim associate dean for practice at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing. The consortium’s grant project is testing 16-week programs focused on improving diet and exercise. Each clinic site has a different array of exercises. Some offer mall-walking, for example. Others have yoga classes. Participants are encouraged to keep journals and to enlist a health buddy to keep them motivated. About 16 RNs are working on the project along with nursing students.

The cornerstone of the consortium’s project is intensive nurse outreach, using the support systems and social networks the centers are already tapping into. The practices are situated in neighborhood centers that also may house day care or preschool programs, in subsidized housing projects or in other nontraditional settings. That puts the nurses in close contact with their clients.

Nurses understand the psychosocial aspects of making lifestyle changes, Anderko said, and they’re uniquely qualified to motivate healthy behaviors. Nursing is one of the most respected professions in her area, she said, and as a result people believe what nurses say.

In a recent Gallup poll, nurses ranked higher than any other group when respondents were asked how they rated professions for honesty and ethical standards.

“There’s a right way and a wrong way to go about informing people,” Anderko said. “Sometimes there’s a lack of appreciation of the partnership you have with the patient.”

Nurses have the right training to motivate behavioral changes, she said. They are trained in nutrition and cultural diversity and appreciate the role those factors play in health.

One of the consortium’s long-term goals is to expand its research network nationwide. With research money flowing into projects that take practitioners out of the ivory towers and into the trenches, Anderko said, it’s time for nurses to fill those researcher roles.

Contact Donna Hemmila at dhemmila@prodigy.net.