Integrating Advanced Practice Providers Into the Multiprofessional Critical Care Team

Establishing excellence: Implementation of an onboarding and continuing education curriculum for pediatric intensive care unit nurse practitioners and physician associates

ABSTRACT

This study describes a novel curriculum for onboarding and clinical education for nurse practitioners and physician associates (NPs and PAs) in the pediatric intensive care unit setting. The objective was to provide details on the initial orientation and continuing education program to ensure the attainment of knowledge and skills needed to care for critically ill patients safely and effectively. A needs assessment was completed, and a knowledge gap identified in five themes: (1) in-depth knowledge on common critical care diagnoses; (2) understanding of pathophysiology; (3) disease management processes; (4) critical thinking; and (5) procedure competency. Using Kern 6-step curriculum and the Kirkpatrick evaluation model, we designed a program for orientation and continuing education for critical care NPs and PAs. Transformative learning theory provided the framework for the program because the cyclical steps of disorienting dilemma, critical reflection, discourse, and action were used repeatedly to transform a new graduate to a competent critical care provider and then into an expert who is able to, in turn, teach others. A total of 31 NPs and 5 PAs completed the 12-week orientation phase. Participants reported that the orientation phase was valuable to their educational advancement and increased critical care knowledge. All participants showed improvement in knowledge, skills, and ability to provide competent patient care.

The Role of the Advanced Practice Provider in a Subspecialty Practice: Satisfaction and Professionalism, Including COVID-19 Impacts

The advanced practice provider collaborates with other clinicians and works to educate, advocate, and increase access for patients in the clinical setting. Research has shown that advanced practice providers working collaboratively with physicians yield improved quality of care and outcomes; however, the current level of understanding of this role in gastroenterology has not been explored in detail. Across two academic institutions, we conducted 16 semi-structured interviews to examine how the environment of the gastroenterology department aligns with the professional satisfaction of its advanced practice providers. Thematic saturation was achieved, revealing four themes: (1) productivity of the working relationship; (2) inconsistent understandings of the advanced practice provider role in clinical care; (3) mixed advanced practice provider experience relating to colleague support; and (4) autonomy impacts satisfaction. These themes highlight not only a reasonable degree of advanced practice provider satisfaction, but also the need to engage with colleagues regarding the advanced practice provider role in care to allow for better integration into the overall gastroenterology healthcare team. The results from different institutions suggest the need to interview gastroenterology advanced practice providers in different settings to better understand whether similar themes exist.

Intensive care nurse practitioners in Australia: A description of a service model in an adult tertiary intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

Although well-established internationally, nurse practitioners (NPs) in Australian adult intensive care units (ICUs) are rare. Australian literature clearly highlights the importance of creating ICU NP roles to meet emerging demands. An ICU NP model of care at a metropolitan hospital in Sydney provides care in four core practice areas: complex case management, vascular access, tracheostomy management, and intrahospital transport of critically ill patients. The ICU NPs also provide training and assessment for ICU nurses and medical officers in these same core practice areas and can efficiently meet service gaps in crisis such as the most recent COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

The ICU NP program described is an innovative model of care that has demonstrated potential benefits to patients and their families. Potential benefits to the healthcare system including supporting advanced practice nursing development in regional and rural Australia and in addressing future ICU workforce issues are also identified. This model of care provides a clear role and structure for the integration of NPs in the adult ICU. Research to evaluate the impact of the role is required and is underway.

CONCLUSIONS

This model is being used to develop a national adult ICU NP fellowship training program for ICU transitional NPs preparing for endorsement or endorsed NPs who require additional ICU-specific training. This immersive clinical training program combined with didactic learning modules offers a framework to support the implementation of the adult ICU NP role as well as a framework for NP fellowship programs in other specialties.

Surgical Faculty Perception of Service-Based Advanced Practice Provider Impact: A Southwestern Surgical Congress Multicenter Survey

BACKGROUND

A previous single-center survey of trauma and general surgery faculty demonstrated perceived positive impact of trauma and surgical subspecialty service-based advanced practice providers (SB APPs). The aim of this multicenter survey was to further validate these findings.

METHODS

Faculty surgeons on teams that employ SB APPs at 8 academic centers completed an electronic survey querying perception about advanced practice provider (APP) competency and impact.

RESULTS

Respondents agreed that SB APPs decrease workload (88%), length of stay (72%), contribute to continuity (92%), facilitate care coordination (87%), enhance patient satisfaction (88%), and contribute to best practice/safe patient care (83%). Fewer agreed that APPs contribute to resident education (50%) and quality improvement (QI)/research (36%). Although 93% acknowledged variability in the APP level of function, 91% reported trusting their clinical judgment.

CONCLUSION

This study supports the perception that SB APPs have a positive impact on patient care and quality indicators. Areas for potential improvement include APP contribution to resident education and research/QI initiatives.

Envisioning Distinctive Professional Identity for Critical Care Advanced Practice Providers: Fostering Integrative Transformation Beyond Orientation

The roles played by nurse practitioners and physician assistants have expanded exponentially during the last decade. Although existing professional advancement models for nurse practitioners/physician assistants have led to enhanced integration in different patient care units, the development of a distinctive professional identity formation is lacking. This perspective proposes a new framework to guide the planning of an educational program that provides not only clinical knowledge and technical skills but also opportunities for enhancing leadership and research skills, along with strong career mentorship. Such a program will lead to formation of a distinctive identity for critical care nurse practitioners and physician assistants, which in turn can improve job satisfaction and employee retention.