Innovation in community urgent care: Nurse leadership in spain's SUAP services

Community urgent care is a critical component of modern healthcare systems, and nursing plays a decisive role in its effectiveness. In Spain, the Primary Care Emergency Services (SUAP) are key structures that ensure accessible, efficient, and person-centered urgent care. These services serve patients of all ages and clinical profiles, and operate across diverse settings including SUAP centers, patient's homes, and public spaces requiring nurses to be fully prepared to manage any urgent or emergency situation with competence, autonomy, and clinical judgment.

Nurse leadership within SUAP services is reflected in advanced clinical assessment, early identification of risk, decision-making in uncertain or rapidly evolving scenarios, tailored health education across the life span, and coordination with other healthcare levels to ensure continuity of care. However, delivering the highest quality urgent care requires continuous nursing innovation: integrating new technologies, updating protocols, developing advanced competencies, and contributing to the improvement of organizational models.

This innovation cannot rely solely on individual professionals. It requires strong support from health policies, strategic planning, and adequate resource allocation. Collaboration between nurses, managers, and policymakers is essential to build a sustainable and responsive model of community urgent care.

This presentation analyzes Spain's SUAP model from a nursing perspective, describing the diversity of patients attended, the professional competencies required, and the current challenges faced by these services. It also compares different regional models to identify best practices and opportunities for improvement. The aim is to propose innovative strategies that strengthen nurse leadership, enhance the resolutive capacity of SUAP services, and promote a sustainable, person-centered model of community urgent care aligned with the evolving needs of the population.