Social prescribing by community nurses in southeastern Australia: a qualitative study

Background: Social prescribing involves referring patients to community-based facilities that provide social support. Community nurses can play a crucial role in social prescribing; however, there is limited knowledge about their experiences in this area. Aims: This study explored the experiences of community nurses in Australia regarding social prescribing. Methods: Twenty community nurses were recruited and interviewed using snowball and purposive sampling. The nurses held various roles, including crisis management, case manager, team leader, general practice nurse, counsellor and mental health nurse. Thematic analysis was used. Results: The common social prescribing activities nurses referred to were men’s sheds, coffee groups, walking groups and art therapy. Four themes were identified: (1) a broader view of patient care, (2) barriers to considering social prescribing referrals, (3) barriers to implementing social prescribing referrals and (4) their recommendations. Community nurses prefer social prescribing activities that are affordable and achievable, help clients deal with isolation and keep clients physically active. However, not all nurses were aware of the term ‘social prescribing’. Conclusions: Community nurses do recognise the social aspects of health. However, they encounter considerable challenges that hinder the implementation of social prescribing. Addressing these challenges is essential for integrating social prescribing into community nursing care.