The Family and Community Nurse in Contemporary Primary Care

Health systems are increasingly challenged by ageing populations, multimorbidity, and the growing impact of social determinants of health, requiring a shift towards integrated and population-oriented primary care. Within this context, the Family and Community Nurse (FCN) has emerged as a key professional and organisational model to support continuity, coordination, and community-based care. This thesis examines how principles of integrated care and population health management are translated into practice through a multi-level research design. It combines a review of reviews comparing FCN and Nurse Practitioner models, a qualitative study exploring citizens’ and patients’ perceptions of primary care reform in Italy, and a mixed-methods analysis of interprofessional collaboration, social capital, and territorial context. Findings highlight that integration depends on the alignment of organisational models, professional roles, and relational dynamics. The study provides an integrated analytical framework linking professional roles, implementation processes, and contextual factors in primary care transformation.