Revision and evaluation of an ‘advanced’ nursing role in an Australian emergency department

Non-medical practitioners in the staffing of emergency departments and urgent treatment centres in England: a mixed qualitative methods study of policy implementation

BACKGROUND

Patient demand, internationally, on emergency departments and urgent care treatment centres has grown. Shortages of staff, particularly of emergency medicine doctors, have compounded problems. Some countries are pursuing solutions of including non-medical practitioners e.g., nurse practitioners and physician associates/assistants in their emergency department workforces. This study investigated at the macro and meso level of the health system in England: what the rationale was and the factors influencing the current and future employment, or otherwise, of non-medical practitioners in emergency departments and urgent treatment centres.

METHODS

Mixed qualitative methods in the interpretative tradition were employed. We undertook, in 2021-2022, a documentary analysis of national, regional and subregional policy (2017-2021), followed by semi-structured interviews of a purposive sample (n = 18) of stakeholders from national, regional and subregional levels. The data were thematically analysed and then synthesised.

RESULTS

There was general national policy support for increasing the presence of non-medical practitioners as part of the solution to shortages of emergency medicine doctors. However, evidence of policy support dissipated at regional and subregional levels. There were no published numbers for non-medical practitioners in emergency departments, but stakeholders suggested they were relatively small in number, unevenly distributed and faced uncertain growth. While the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath were said to have made senior decision makers more receptive to workforce innovation, many factors contributed to the uncertain growth. These factors included: limited evidence on the relative advantage of including non-medical practitioners; variation in the models of service being pursued to address patient demand on emergency departments and the place of non-medical practitioners within them; the lack of a national workforce plan with clear directives; and the variation in training for non-medical practitioner roles, combined with the lack of regulation of that level of practice.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified many features of a system ready to introduce non-medical practitioners in emergency departments and urgent treatment centres but there were uncertainties and the potential for conflict with other professional groups. One area of uncertainty was evidence of relative advantage in including non-medical practitioners in staffing. This requires urgent attention to inform decision making for short- and long-term workforce planning. Further investigation is required to consider whether these findings are generalisable to other specialties, and to similar health systems in other countries.

How can scope of practice be described and conceptualised in medical and health professions? A systematic review for scoping and content analysis

BACKGROUND

The term scope of practice (SOP) refers to the limits of a health professional's knowledge, skills and experience and reflects all tasks and activities they undertake within the context of their professional role. Inconsistency in definitions of SOP contributes to uncertainty and confusion regarding professional practice boundaries and potentially impacts societal access to safe, effective and efficient healthcare options. The aim of this paper is to understand the conceptual diversity that may exist in terminology used to describe medical, nursing/midwifery and allied health SOP within an Australian practice context exemplar.

METHODS

A systematic review for scoping and content analysis of SOP definitions and concepts, involving inductive thematic analysis and synthesis of published and grey literature.

RESULTS

The initial search strategy yielded 11,863 hits, of which 379 were suitable for inclusion. Data coding identified various SOP terms and definitions and the emergence of six, conceptual elements underpinning the theoretical construct. These were subsequently proposed as a preliminary conceptual model ('Solar') to explain how the six conceptual elements may be applied across various professions, clinical settings and jurisdictions to better understand and address current and evolving SOP issues.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study highlight limited consistency in SOP definitions and terminology within a single jurisdiction, and the conceptual complexity of the underlying theoretical construct. Further research is required to build on the proposed 'Solar' conceptual model and create a universal SOP definition across jurisdictions, to enhance understanding of the importance of SOP to workforce policy, clinical governance, service models and patient outcomes.

Emergency department nurses' role transition towards emergency nurse practitioner: A realist-informed review

BACKGROUND

The integration of emergency nurse practitioner (ENP) services in emergency departments (EDs) has been well established, especially in high-income countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. Different types of reviews, including integrative, literature and systematic, have been carried out to examine evidence regarding the impact of ENPs on the quality of ED services. Unfortunately, there is still limited explanation of the influencing factors that may result in a successful transition process from Registered Nurse to Emergency Nurse Practitioner. This review aims to understand these factors.

METHODS

A realist approach (RAMESES) guided this review. CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were searched to capture studies from 1990 to 2020, combined with policy documents from professional bodies and government websites and relevant references from identified sources. Realist data analysis was carried out on the included articles to understand how context, mechanism and outcomes related to the ED nurses' role transition.

RESULTS

Forty-eight articles were included. There were differences in preparatory education and scope of practice of the role. The review configured various contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of the role transition along with their interactions.

CONCLUSION

The findings provide a comprehensive understanding regarding the emergency nurses' role transition, with a view to providing better insights and explanations to interested parties who would like to integrate the ENP service in their ED.

Expanding knowledge and roles for authority and practice boundaries of Emergency Department nurses: a grounded theory study

Purpose: While emergency department nurses in Indonesia are critical to quality care, the role lacks recognition and standard practices and regulation of scope of practice are absent. This research explored the role of nurses in Indonesian EDs.

Method: The conceptual lens applied in the research was grounded theory. The main data source was 51 semi- structured interviews with 43 ED nurses, three directors of nursing, three nurse leaders and two nurse educators. Data were also generated through observations and memos.

Results: Two key categories were constructed; shifting work boundaries and lack of authority. Shifting work boundaries was symbolic of a lack of professional authority and legitimized knowledge. Lack of authority reflected the dimension of professional autonomy through the nexus of power and knowledge. The interrelationship of these two concepts constructed a core category, securing legitimate power, which underpinned the positioning of nursing in Indonesia.

Conclusions: The interconnection between political gains, tertiary knowledge, professional regulation and implementation of gender-sensitive policies was critical to the development of the ED role, the positioning of nursing within the health care system and improvement in quality of care.

The effect of supportive emergency department nursing care on pain reduction of patients with Red Sea marine wildlife injuries

INTRODUCTION

The emergency department at Yoseftal hospital in Eilat is on the shore of the Red Sea, and it is visited by patients with marine wildlife injuries. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of supportive nursing care on the pain level of patients with Red Sea marine wildlife injuries.

METHOD

A prospective quantitative study including 102 patients admitted to the emergency department. The study included a study group (N = 50) and a control group (N = 52). Both groups rated their pain level on the VAS before and after receiving treatment. The control group received the usual treatment, and the study group received the usual nursing treatment along with structured patient guidance and support.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference in the level of pain after the intervention between the control and the study group. In the study group, the level of pain was significantly reduced compared with the control group (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

Nursing training and patient guidance contributed to increasing cooperation with patients and pain reduction. Therefore, training interventions should be structured and assimilated as an integral part of nursing practice.

Analysis of three advanced practice roles in emergency nursing

BACKGROUND

There are many Emergency Department (ED) demand management systems that include advanced practice emergency nursing roles. The aim of this study is to examine and compare three advanced emergency nursing practice roles: ED Fast Track, Clinical Initiatives Nurse (CIN) and Rapid Intervention and Treatment Zone (RITZ).

METHOD

A descriptive exploratory approach was used to conduct this study at an urban district hospital in Melbourne, Australia. The study participants were patients managed in each of the three systems with advanced practice emergency nursing roles: Fast Track, CIN and RITZ.

RESULTS

There were a total of 551 patients: 195 Fast Track patients, 163 CIN managed patients and 193 RITZ patients. CIN managed patients were older (p<0.001), with higher levels of clinical urgency (p<0.001), and higher hospital admission rates (p<0.001). CIN managed patients had shorter waiting time for nursing care (p=0.001) and lower incidence of medical assessment within the time associated with their triage category (p<0.0001). ED LOS for discharged patients was significantly longer for CIN managed patients (p<0.001). CIN managed patients had a significantly higher incidence of electrocardiography (p<0.001), blood glucose measurement (p<0.001), intravenous cannulation (p<0.001), pathology testing (p<0.001), and analgesia administration (p<0.001) when compared to Fast Track and RITZ patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Advanced practice roles in emergency nursing can have different applications in the ED context. Clarity about role intent and scope of practice is important and should inform educational preparation and teams within which these roles operate.