Limitations
This study was undertaken rapidly to inform emerging PHC policy and
practice associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. As this
study represents a snapshot in time, it will not capture changing
experiences and perceptions as the pandemic progresses with adaptations
in policy and practice. Given the scope and impact of this crisis, it
may also not capture those nurses most affected by the situation.
Despite this being one of the largest Australian surveys of PHC nurses
to date, the method of sampling and recruitment via social media may
have excluded nurses without access to these platforms. Additionally, as
we are unsure how many nurses are employed in PHC, it is not possible to
calculate a response denominator. This limitation around PHC nurse
sampling has been widely recognised
(Halcomb et al., 2008,
Australian Medicare Local Alliance, 2012,
Halcomb et al., 2014). Further
qualitative data may have added an extra layer of insight.