Assessing the benefits of advanced clinical practice for key stakeholders

BACKGROUND

Advanced clinical practice roles, usually filled by nurses, have had positive effects on clinical effectiveness, including in patient satisfaction, but their benefits for other stakeholders (such as employers, health professionals, education providers and commissioners and professional/regulatory bodies) are less clear.

AIM

This study aimed to identify UK research on the potential benefits of advanced clinical practice and evaluate the evidence base for key stakeholders in this field.

METHOD

A mixed-methods systematic literature review was carried out to inform a narrative interpretive synthesis.

FINDINGS

44 articles of mixed quality were identified. Consensus was found regarding the definition of and barriers and facilitators to advanced clinical practice. This role is split into substitution (eg, of doctors) and supplementation (eg, adding value) aspects, and the clinical practice element dominates. Training for the role varies, as do scope of practice and regulation.

CONCLUSION

There are several barriers to the implementation of advanced clinical practice and therefore the realisation of its benefits for key stakeholders. Areas requiring attention include training, support from others for role expansion and organisational issues.

Models of care with advanced practice nurses in the emergency department: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Emergency departments play a critical role in healthcare systems internationally. Visits for emergency care continue to increase, related to poor access to primary care, the COVID-19 pandemic, and health human resource issues. International literature shows similar stressors in the emergency department. Extended wait times to see health providers lead to poor outcomes, and innovative models of care are needed to address emergency department overcrowding and to meet the needs of patients. Advanced practice nurses have the expertise and scope of practice to optimize and address primary and acute care needs and could be further integrated into the emergency healthcare systems. It is unclear what and how advanced practice nurses are functioning in emergency departments to improve patient and organization outcomes.

METHODS

This scoping review was a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, EMCARE, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and gray literature. Authors developed inclusion and exclusion criteria, performed title and abstract screening, and full text screening using review software. Data about models of care with advanced practice nurses were extracted and organized to understand patient, provider, and organizational outcomes. We also extracted information about the development and implementation of roles.

RESULTS

Of the 6780 records identified, 76 met inclusion criteria. Emergency department models of care, mainly using nurse practitioners, include fast-track, generalized emergency, minor injury, orthopedics, pediatrics, geriatrics, specific populations, and triage. Reported patient outcomes include improvement in key metrics specific to emergency departments, such as total length of stay, wait times to be seen by a provider, left without being seen rates, treatment for pain, costs, and resource use. When comparing nurse practitioners to other providers, outcomes were similar or better for patient and organizational outcomes.

DISCUSSION

Various models of care utilizing advanced practice nurses in emergency departments are present internationally and information about how they are developed, integrated, and utilized provides practical information to support and sustain new roles. There is an opportunity to expand the use of these roles into emergency departments as the nurse practitioner scope of practice grows. Given the current crisis across healthcare systems, there is need for innovation, and improving delivery of emergency services with these advanced practice nursing models of care can help to address important health policy priorities in Canada and other countries.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Advanced Practice Nurse models of care in emergency - Improved outcomes for patients and organizations - A review of the literature. @SamanthaH_RN.

Wie Pflegeexpert_innen in Deutschschweizer Pflegeheimen ihre Rollenentwicklung gestalten

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Die Entwicklung und Aufrechterhaltung der Pflegequalität wird in Schweizer Pflegeheimen oft von Pflegeexpert_innen übernommen. Dabei handelt es sich um diplomierte Pflegefachpersonen mit heterogenem Bildungshintergrund und langjähriger Berufserfahrung. Wie diese ihre Rollenentwicklung in den Pflegeheimen gestalten, ist nicht bekannt. Fragestellung/Ziel: Ziel der Studie ist es darzulegen, wie Pflegeexpert_innen in Pflegeheimen ihre berufliche Rollenentwicklung gestalten. Methode: Wir führten eine qualitative, konstruktivistische Sekundärdatenanalyse von 14 semistrukturierten Interviews mit Pflegeexpert_innen aus Deutschschweizer Pflegeheimen durch. Die Daten wurden induktiv mit einer reflexiven thematischen Analyse ausgewertet. Ergebnisse: Aus den Berichten der 14 Pflegeexpert_innen konnten wir das konstituierende Thema „Vision als Motivation“ und drei Phasen der Rollenentwicklung ableiten. Die Vision, eine gute Pflegequalität für die Bewohner_innen sicherzustellen, motiviert Pflegeexpert_innen zum Rollenaufbau und zur Weiterentwicklung in drei Phasen: 1) „Rolle sukzessive gestalten“; 2) „Rolle kontinuierlich weiterentwickeln“; 3) „Rolle neu ausrichten“. Schlussfolgerungen: Pflegeexpert_innen passen ihre Rolle kontinuierlich an den sich verändernden Kontext an, um an der Pflegequalität arbeiten zu können. Zum Gelingen benötigen sie eine gemeinsame Vision mit ihren Vorgesetzten für die Pflegequalität.

Embedding skin tone diversity into undergraduate nurse education: Through the lens of pressure injury

OBJECTIVE

To explore health disparity in on-campus undergraduate nurse education through the analysis of teaching and teaching material exploring pressure injuries.

BACKGROUND

As a discipline, nursing espouses ideologies of inclusion, equity and valuing diversity. However, little is known about how these ideologies translate into clinical care. Pressure injury prevention is a routine aspect of nursing care; yet, there is evidence of inequity in relation to clinical care and patient assessment, as people with darker skin tones have a higher prevalence of severe pressure injuries before detection of damage occurs. Despite limited literature being available surrounding the topic of pressure injuries and skin tone diversity, it remains the responsibility of nurse educators to address contemporary issues and health disparity within the nursing curriculum.

DESIGN

A multiple method collective case study. The STROBE checklist was followed in reporting this study.

METHODS

Documentary and observational data of lectures regarding pressure injuries were collected during 2017 and 2018 from five Higher Education Institutes in England delivering approved nursing undergraduate programmes.

RESULTS

Documentary analysis confirmed all Higher Education Institutes overwhelmingly directed teaching and learning activities about pressure injury towards people with Caucasian skin tones. Observation of teaching indicated all teaching sessions only contained brief, separate and superficial information on people with pressure injuries and darker skin tones. There was no discursive language or awareness of colour or colour blindness.

CONCLUSION

Radical critique of all teaching and learning activities needs to occur, to help explore, improve and meaningfully and authentically include diversity and inclusivity in nurse education, and in particular, how people across the skin tone spectrum are included and represented in teaching and learning activities.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Critical examination of current teaching practice is crucial to address disparity and ensure care for people with darker skin tones is optimised. Nurse educators have a responsibility to educate for the care needs of all, as the quality of nurse education has a direct impact on care delivery and health disparity. This paper highlights the importance of addressing skin tone diversity and offers the opportunity for reflective practice, not just in formal education, but in clinical settings by preceptors and senior staff.

Lung cancer treatment rates and the role of the lung cancer nurse specialist: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

This qualitative study examines how the Lung Cancer Nurse Specialist (LCNS) role operates and why they may be able to increase access to treatment.

SETTING

4 Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts in England.

DESIGN

A multiple case study design using semistructured interviews, observation and Framework Analysis techniques.

PARTICIPANTS

Four LCNSs, comprised the 'cases'. Twenty four clinicians who worked with the LCNS participated in individual interviews. Six LCNSs took part in a group interview and 60 lung cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) members and coordinators were observed in the MDT meeting.

RESULTS

The LCNS is crucial within the MDT and can act as a catalyst to patient access to treatment. The study identified the clinical activity (assessment, managing symptoms, psychological support and information provision) and role characteristics that can facilitate treatment access. These characteristics are the LCNS's presence across the patient pathway, acting as the 'hub' of the MDT, maintaining a holistic patient focus and working to an advanced level of practice. The findings indicate how factors may have a cumulative impact on treatment access.

CONCLUSIONS

If UK patient with lung cancer survival rates are to improve in line with comparable countries, we need to employ every advantage. This study demonstrates how the LCNS role may open doors to positive patient outcomes, including treatment. Further research is required to explore patients' experiences, decision-making and attitudes to treatment.