ACNP intensivist: a new ICU care delivery model and its supporting educational programs

Workforce, Workload, and Burnout Among Intensivists and Advanced Practice Providers: A Narrative Review

OBJECTIVES

To assess-by literature review and expert consensus-workforce, workload, and burnout considerations among intensivists and advanced practice providers.

DESIGN

Data were synthesized from monthly expert consensus and literature review.

SETTING

Workforce and Workload section workgroup of the Academic Leaders in Critical Care Medicine Task Force.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Multidisciplinary care teams led by intensivists are an essential component of critical care delivery. Advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) are progressively being integrated into ICU practice models. The ever-increasing number of patients with complex, life-threatening diseases, concentration of ICU beds in few centralized hospitals, expansion of specialty ICU services, and desire for 24/7 availability have contributed to growing intensivist staffing concerns. Such staffing challenges may negatively impact practitioner wellness, team perception of care quality, time available for teaching, and length of stay when the patient to intensivist ratio is greater than or equal to 15. Enhanced team communication and reduction of practice variation are important factors for improved patient outcomes. A diverse workforce adds value and enrichment to the overall work environment. Formal succession planning for ICU leaders is crucial to the success of critical care organizations. Implementation of a continuous 24/7 ICU coverage care model in high-acuity, high-volume centers should be based on patient-centered outcomes. High levels of burnout syndrome are common among intensivists. Prospective analyses of interventions to decrease burnout within the ICU setting are limited. However, organizational interventions are felt to be more effective than those directed at individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

Critical care workforce and staffing models are myriad and based on several factors including local culture and resources, ICU organization, and strategies to reduce burden on the ICU provider workforce. Prospective studies to assess and avoid the burnout syndrome among intensivists and advanced practice providers are needed.

Supplementing Intensivist Staffing With Nurse Practitioners: Literature Review

In the United States, providing health care to critically ill patients is a challenge. An increase in patients older than 65 years, a decrease in critical care physicians, and a decrease in work hours for residents cause intensivist staffing issues. In this article, use of nurse practictioners to fill the intensive care unit intensivist staffing gap is assessed and evidence-based recommendations are identified to better incorporate nurse practitioners as part of intensive care unit intensivist staffing. The literature reveals that when nurse practitioners are part of a staffing model, outcomes are either positively impacted or no different from physician outcomes. However, successfully integrating nurse practitioners into an intensive care unit team is not adequately discussed in the literature. This gap is addressed and 3 mechanisms to integrate nurse practitioners into the intensive care unit are identified: (1) use of a multidisciplinary staffing model, (2) completion of onboarding programs, and (3) evaluation of nurse practitioner productivity.

Integrating Nurse Practitioners Into Intensive Care Units

As demand for nurse practitioners in all types of intensive care units continues to increase, ensuring successful integration of these nurses into adult and pediatric general and specialty intensive care units poses several challenges. Adding nurse practitioners requires strategic planning to define critical aspects of the care delivery model before the practitioners are hired, develop a comprehensive program for integrating and training these nurses, and create a plan for implementing the program. Key strategies to ensure successful integration include defining and implementing the role of nurse practitioners, providing options for orientation, and supporting and training novice nurse practitioners. Understanding the importance of appropriate role utilization, the depth of knowledge and skill expected of nurse practitioners working in intensive care units, the need for a comprehensive training program, and a commitment to continued professional development beyond orientation are necessary to fully realize the contributions of these nurses in critical care.

Preparation and Evolving Role of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) are increasingly being employed as members of critical care teams, an outcome driven by increasing demand for intensive care services, a mandated reduction in house officer hours, and evidence supporting the ability of ACNPs to provide high-quality care as collaborative members of critical care teams. Integration of adult ACNPs into critical care teams is most likely to be successful when practitioners have appropriate training, supervision, and mentoring to facilitate their ability to practice efficiently and effectively. Accomplishing this goal requires understanding the educational preparation and skill set potential hires bring to the position as well as the development of an orientation program designed to integrate the practitioner into the critical care team. Pediatric ACNPs are also commonly employed in critical care settings; however, this commentary focuses on the adult ACNP role.

Establishment of Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Advanced Practice Provider Services

The addition of advanced practice providers (APPs; nurse practitioners and physician assistants) to a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) team is a health care innovation that addresses medical provider shortages while allowing PCICUs to deliver high-quality, cost-effective patient care. APPs, through their consistent clinical presence, effective communication, and facilitation of interdisciplinary collaboration, provide a sustainable solution for the highly specialized needs of PCICU patients. In addition, APPs provide leadership, patient and staff education, facilitate implementation of evidence-based practice and quality improvement initiatives, and the performance of clinical research in the PCICU. This article reviews mechanisms for developing, implementing, and sustaining advance practice services in PCICUs.