Advanced urology nursing practice

Defining the urology nurse practitioner role in the United States: A Delphi study

BACKGROUND

Nurse practitioners (NPs) achieve expertise in urology environments due to on-the-job training and independent study, coupled with mentoring. This creates a wide variety of preparation and role descriptions, and despite the availability of sought NP certification in urology, there is not a current definition for a "urology NP."

PURPOSE

This project sough to develop a contemporary definition of the urology NP role, based on expert opinion.

METHODS

Study design was the Delphi method, which evaluates consensus and opinion when there is incomplete knowledge or lack of evidence. Participants were a nonrandom panel of experts on the urology NP role with at least 2 years as a full-time urology NP. This exempted study collected data via an online platform that ensured anonymity, and was completed in two rounds.

RESULTS

The following definition is proposed after the study results: "The Urology NP provides acute and chronic care to individuals experiencing urological health care needs across the lifespan, engages in office-based urology procedures in accordance with the state Board of Nursing, maintains membership in professional organizations and acts as preceptor to all health care disciplines." Certification in the specialty role was deemed important.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Results demonstrated the very patient-care centered nature of this specialty NP role, as professional roles of the NP were given less weight. The project offers a definition of the urology NP role that can be offered to educators and other stakeholders.

Advanced Practice Nursing in Pediatric Urology: experience report in the Federal District

OBJECTIVE

To describe the creation and implementation of the extension program Advanced Practice Nursing in Pediatric Urology, developed in the outpatient clinic of a teaching hospital in the Federal District.

METHOD

This is an experience report regarding the implementation of an outpatient service aimed at children and adolescents with symptoms of bladder and bowel dysfunction.

RESULTS

Because it is an extension program linked to the university, it follows a different model of care, valuing empowerment, informed and shared decision making, which results in a stronger bond between patients, family and the Pediatric Urology nursing team. It has also become a privileged space for the production and use of scientific knowledge, associated with the principles of evidence-based practice.

CONCLUSION

This project shows a different performance of the nurse-specialist-professor-researcher in Pediatric Urology Nursing, and it has become a reference in the Federal District, mainly for undergraduate and graduate nursing students.