Advanced nurse and midwife practitioners' experience of interprofessional collaboration when implementing evidence-based practice into routine care: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

AIM

To understand advanced nurse and midwife practitioners' experience of interprofessional collaboration in implementing evidence-based practice into routine care.

DESIGN

A qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis.

METHODS

A purposeful sample of 10 Registered Advanced Nurse and Midwife Practitioners from a range of practice settings in the Republic of Ireland participated in semi-structured interviews over a 10-month timeframe. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and data were analysed using a multi-stage approach in line with guidance for interpretative phenomenological analysis.

RESULTS

Six superordinate themes emerged: Understanding of advanced practice; 'Treated as an equal and as a "nurse"'; Nursing management support; 'A voice to implement anything new'; Confidence and Emotional intelligence. These factors impacted interprofessional relationships and the extent to which advanced practitioners could implement evidence-based practice.

CONCLUSION

There is scope to improve advanced practitioners' ability to collaborate with the interprofessional team in implementing evidence-based practice into routine care.

IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS

The study findings demonstrate that enhancing understanding of the advanced practice role; increasing organizational support for advanced practitioners and augmenting specific practitioner skills and attributes will increase their ability to collaborate effectively and implement evidence-based practice. Supporting advanced practitioners in this important aspect of their role will positively influence health outcomes for patients.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE WIDER GLOBAL CLINICAL COMMUNITY

As numbers of both nurse and midwife practitioners increase globally, this study provides timely evidence from a range of practice settings to guide the design of education programmes and policies governing advanced practice. Study recommendations have broad applicability to all healthcare professionals who are engaged in implementing evidence-based practice into routine care.

REPORTING METHOD

Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ).

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

Developing and centralising a nurse-led local anaesthetic transperineal biopsy service during COVID

Introduction

Transperineal (TP) biopsy has recently replaced the transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) approach as the ideal method of biopsy in the United Kingdom with growing trends to adopt. To minimise transmission of COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, the British Association of Urological Surgeons Section of Oncology issued guidelines reducing general anaesthesia (GA) procedures and initiate COVID-secure 'green' site diagnostics. As a result of these guidelines and reduction in clinical diagnostics trust-wide, we ceased all TRUS diagnostics and implemented a centralised, nurse-led LA TP biopsy service.

Materials and methods

A waiting list was developed for those awaiting prostate cancer diagnostics across the network. A COVID-secure 'green' site was quickly identified with TP biopsies starting soon after. Quality improvement methodology was utilised and a run chart was used to show if changes were sustainable.

Results

Successful implementation and centralisation of a TP biopsy service occurred with TRUS guided biopsies ceasing across all sites on 12 May 2020. The procedures were carried out by urology advanced nurse practitioners under local anaesthesia with a select few occurring under GA. Centralising the service in a COVID-secure manner freed up dedicated theatre sessions and personal leading to increased efficiency elsewhere. The service was robust and was maintained upon lifting of COVID restrictions.

Conclusions

A centralised, nurse led LA TP biopsy service in a procedural unit was implemented successfully. The service has remained resilient upon lifting of restrictions and return to business as usual. This led to improved performance across trust by freeing up valuable resources and staff to undertake more duties. The service remains highly valued trust-wide.

The Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist: A Rapid Review of Implementation Models and Barriers around the World

The role of a clinical nurse specialist in oncology varies greatly between healthcare systems, and implementing this healthcare role with its multifaceted and co-existing responsibilities may prove challenging. While already integrated into healthcare systems and services in several European countries, Asia, Canada, and the United States, other countries are just beginning to develop clinical nursing specialties. The current study aims to provide healthcare policymakers with up-to-date evidence that focuses on the diverse modes of oncology clinical nurse specialist role implementation across several healthcare systems and pertinent implementation challenges as described in the literature. A rapid evidence assessment was carried out in order to provide policymakers with a rigorous review in a condensed timescale. Initially, only items in the English language were included, and "grey literature" was excluded. We searched PubMed between 1 January 2022 and 28 February 2022 and two independent scholars reviewed items. Based on 64 papers, both non-scientific and papers that met the initial criteria of the rapid review, we describe the modes of implementation of the oncology clinical nurse specialist in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil and Australia. Barriers to implementation include conflicts around role boundaries, skepticism and lack of organizational support, as well as fears that oncology clinical nurse specialists will "encroach" on doctors' powers. In contrast, an oncology clinical nurse specialist is found to be universally more accessible to patients and their families and can help physicians deal with difficult workloads, among other advantages. Conclusions: This role offers a myriad of gains for cancer patients, oncology physicians, and the healthcare system. The literature demonstrates that it is a necessary role, albeit one that brings specific implementation challenges.

Role of the advanced nurse practitioner within the vascular team: A qualitative study of vascular physicians and nurses

Objective

To assess the perception of Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANP) by physicians and nurses in vascular medicine. As the status of ANP in France was recently enacted by law in 2018, we aimed to investigate physicians and nurses working with patients suffering from Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) to gather their opinions and draw the cooperation outlines these practitioners could have with an ANP.

Methods

A qualitative study based on in-depth interviews was conducted among healthcare practitioners taking care of patients with PAD: 10 physicians working either in a private practice settings or hospital settings or both, and eight nurses working within a hospital inpatients vascular unit. Verbatim responses were extracted and coded according to a continuous thematization method.

Results

Three main features emerged from participants' responses. Vascular medicine has a specific organization with a significant lack of time and staff to fulfill the mission regarding patients' severity of illness. Second, the ANP is wanted to fill part of this gap. The expected benefits include a smoother care pathway and increased capacity for cardiovascular education and prevention, especially during consultations. Lastly, some clarification is required to integrate such new practitioners within vascular teams already in place.

Conclusion

Advanced nurse practitioners could be the missing link in a "Vascular team" by creating a continuum in the care of patients with PAD, ensuring clinical assessment, nursing supervision, adverse event screening, and renewing drug prescriptions with the required adaptations while ensuring essential part of therapeutic education adapted to each patient.

Perceptions and Expectations of Advanced Geriatric Nursing Role Development in Primary Health Care: A Qualitative Study Exploring Staff's Perspectives

PURPOSE

This qualitative study aimed to explore multidisciplinary members' perceptions and expectations of advanced geriatric nursing role development in primary health care.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A multi-center, cross-sectional study based on semi-structured individual interviews was conducted with registered nurses, general physicians, and managers involved in the care of older people in primary health care between September 2020 and January 2021. Recruitment was purposive and the framework method was used to inductively analyze the data. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative research (COREQ) served to structure our manuscript.

RESULTS

In total, 29 registered nurses, 6 general physicians, and 10 managers from 8 health centers were interviewed. The relevant themes interpreted from the interview data were as follows: (1) the current roles of registered nurses in the care of older people; (2) the factors affect the advanced geriatric nursing role development; (3) expectations of the advanced geriatric nursing roles.

CONCLUSION

There is a need for appropriate educational programs, well-established laws, and regulations to support the sustainable development of advanced geriatric nursing roles. To build the expected role model, the nursing education program in the future should integrate gerontological nursing, public health nursing, and nursing management to maximize the role of gerontological nurse practitioners in primary health care.

District nurses and general practitioners' negotiation of responsibility for nutritional care for patients in palliative phases cared for at home

Aim:

To explore district nurses and general practitioners (GPs) interaction in a case seminar when discussing nutritional care for patients in palliative phases cared for at home and to construct a theoretical model illuminating the professionals’ main concern.

Background:

Nutritional care for people who are frail and older requires collaboration between nurses and physicians in primary health care. However, both collaboration and knowledge need to be improved, and there is a lack of continuing interprofessional education to meet these needs. We therefore developed an interprofessional educational intervention about nutritional care for patients in palliative phases of disease that was adapted to primary home health care and ended with a case seminar. The case seminar discussions gave us the opportunity to study micro-level interactions between district nurses and GPs in a learning context.

Methods:

Grounded theory method was used to construct a theoretical model of the interactions between district nurses and GPs as they discussed an authentic case.

Findings:

A substantive grounded theory that illuminates how district nurses and GPs interacted, negotiating responsibility for nutritional care for patients in palliative phases cared for at home. The theory is described in a tentative theoretical model that delineates factors that facilitate interprofessional dialogue and lead to interprofessional learning, or block such dialogue and learning. The theoretical model illuminates the importance of a distinction between uniprofessional and interprofessional dialogue in interprofessional educational interventions. It suggests that interprofessional learning was generated directly from the interaction between district nurses and GPs in the case seminar discussions. The model can be used to promote better teamwork and collaboration in caring; for example, as a basis for reflection in collaborative and interprofessional learning interventions and as a tool for facilitators and teachers.

An evaluation of the impact of advanced nurse practitioner triage and clinical intervention for medically expected patients referred to an acute National Health Service hospital

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of advanced nurse practitioner triage on the management of medically expected patients referred to an acute National Health Service hospital. The objectives of the study were to determine whether advanced nurse practitioner triage reduced waiting times and hospital admissions and expedited essential investigations and treatments.

BACKGROUND

The effectiveness of employing advanced nurse practitioners to meet service demands has been widely studied in emergency departments and critical care units. However, no studies have evaluated the impact advanced nurse practitioners can have on the management of medically expected patients, who have been referred to hospital because they are acutely unwell and require immediate medical intervention.

DESIGN

A pre- and postimplementation evaluation.

METHOD

The Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence guidelines were used as a framework to guide the triaging role of advanced nurse practitioners. The charts of patients attending before and after the implementation of the advanced nurse practitioner triage role were retrospectively analysed.

RESULTS

The implementation of advanced nurse practitioner triage for medically expected patients saw a statistically significant reduction in the length of time patients have to wait to be seen. There were also significant improvements in timings to diagnosis and treatment of patients presenting with conditions such as sepsis or community-acquired pneumonia. Additionally, patient admissions to hospital were reduced, as advanced nurse practitioners instead streamed a number of patients to ambulatory care for same day treatment and/or medical follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Advanced nurse practitioner triage has made significant improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of care and management of medically expected patients who were referred to acute hospital settings.

RELEVANCE TO PRACTICE

Utilisation of advanced nurse practitioner triage in the ambulatory care setting is an effective method by which to streamline and improve the management of medically expected patients.

An advanced nurse practitioner service for neonates, children and young people

The NHS continues to face unprecedented demands and reform which necessitates a move away from traditional modes of delivery. Over the past ten years economic austerity, changes to legislation and professional career developments have led to healthcare service redesign and innovations in nursing roles, including the development of the advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) role. This article explores how one organisation created an ANP service for out-of-hours neonatal and paediatric care in a district general hospital setting. It was found that ANPs help to provide continuity of care, support learning, inspire continued professional development and lead on healthcare agendas. However, the ANP service faced factors not exclusive to local context including an ageing workforce, difficulties in recruiting and retaining suitably qualified staff and economic pressures. The future of the service depends on it overcoming these factors while demonstrating that the shift from traditional models of care can lead to a positive outcome.

Advanced practitioners in emergency care: a literature review

There has been an expansion of advanced practitioner roles, such as advanced clinical practitioners, in emergency departments (EDs) in recent years, with the assumption that they will positively affect the provision and quality of emergency care. This article presents a literature review which aimed to identify the evidence on the effects of advanced practitioners in emergency care. The search revealed only four papers, but these studies did identify a need for the role, and highlighted positive attitudes towards it and its potential to improve patient care. The studies also raised concerns about the lack of clarity about titles, education, skills and competence, issues that must be addressed before implementation of such roles. There is clearly an urgent need for further research, but with careful consideration and implementation, advanced clinical practitioners, like the established emergency nurse practitioner role, can positively affect emergency care provision and help address the challenges faced by EDs across the UK.

Minimising wheeze in the under-threes: developing a respiratory assessment clinic for children

A reluctance to diagnose asthma in children under three who have recurrent cough and wheeze causes delays in the commencement of appropriate asthma treatment. Timely inhaled corticosteroid use may reduce asthma exacerbations and unnecessary visits to the emergency department and GPs. To address this delay, an advanced nurse practitioner in one children's community nursing team set up a respiratory assessment clinic for children under three who had recurrent respiratory difficulties. This article describes the rationale and the evidence base that supports a clinic of this kind and reports on its initial results.

Advanced nurse practitioner-led abdominal therapeutic paracentesis

Liver disease is a common cause of death in England and Wales, and ascites is associated with a 50% mortality rate. Most patients who present with ascites have underlying liver cirrhosis, and often require therapeutic paracentesis for symptomatic relief. This article describes a competency framework that was developed to enable advanced nurse practitioners to perform therapeutic paracentesis in an ambulatory care unit.

Developing an advanced nurse practitioner approach to clinical assessments

Emergency departments (EDs) often experience reduced patient flow, which results in low capacity, increased congestion and delays in patient care. Advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) possess the skills required to relieve these pressures and enhance care delivery. This article describes how introducing ANP-led rapid assessment triage in an ED has enabled these practitioners to use advanced practice skills in assessment and intervention, and to request early diagnostic processes to improve patient flow. The system enables the ANPs to identify high-acuity patients who can be cared for in the ED without the need for admission, while ensuring their safety, rapid assessment and timely interventions.

Developing trainee advanced nurse practitioners in clinical environments

Teaching and mentorship are fundamental parts of registered nurses' roles, and learning should be managed and promoted in clinical practice to ensure excellence. This article reflects on, and critically analyses, the developing relationship between the author, who is an advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) and practice educator, and an experienced nurse undertaking an ANP level 7 programme of study. The article describes the supervision and mentorship of the student ANP in an emergency department, in the context of the 'facilitation of learning' and 'evaluation of learning' domains of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice ( NMC 2008 ).

Exploring the potential role of the advanced nurse practitioner within a care path for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

AIMS

To explore the experiences and expectations of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and general practitioners to develop the potential role of an advanced nurse practitioner at the diagnostic care path of abnormal fatigue developed for regional transmural implementation in the Belgian provinces of East and West Flanders.

BACKGROUND

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome experience an incapacitating chronic fatigue that is present for at least 6 months. Since many uncertainties exist about the causes and progression of the disease, patients have to cope with disbelief and scepticism. Access to health care may be hampered, which could lead to inappropriate treatments and guidance.

DESIGN

Qualitative design.

METHODS

Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and general practitioners in Belgium. Data were collected over 9 months in 2014-2015. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for qualitative analysis using open explorative thematic coding.

RESULTS

Fifteen patients and 15 general practitioners were interviewed. Three themes were identified: mixed feelings with the diagnosis, lack of one central intermediator and insufficient coordination. Participants stressed the need for education, knowledge and an intermediator to provide relevant information at the right time and to build up a trust relationship.

CONCLUSION

This qualitative exploration underscores some clear deficiencies in the guidance of patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome and abnormal fatigue. An advanced nurse practitioner as a central intermediator in the transmural care of these patients could promote interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary collaboration and effective communication, provide education and ensure a structured and coordinated approach.

Building leadership capacity in advanced nurse practitioners - the role of organisational management

AIM

To highlight the organisation-level management's role in building leadership capacity in advanced nurse practitioners and the need for appropriate supports to increase their becoming leaders.

BACKGROUND

Little is published about the role of organisation-level management in building leadership capacity and in developing the next generation of nurse leaders. In times of economic constraint, organisations need to focus their efforts on targeted leadership initiatives. Advanced nurse practitioners are ideally positioned to act as leaders both within and beyond the health care organisation.

EVALUATION

From the available research evidence, several support structures and mechanisms are identified as enablers for advanced nurse practitioners to enact their leadership role.

CONCLUSION

Health care organisations need to include building leadership capacity as a priority in their strategic plan and take action to build-up the level of advanced nurse practitioner leadership.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Nurse executives have a vital role in influencing the organisation's strategic plan and making a business case for prioritising leadership capacity building within advanced nurse practitioners. A challenge for nurse executives faced with competing service and leadership development demands, involves strategic decision-making regarding whether the advanced nurse practitioner's role is limited to service delivery or its potential in leading health care reforms is realised.

On the night shift: advanced nurse practice in emergency medicine

Advanced nurse practitioners in the author's emergency department (ED) work autonomously and as part of a team to assess, diagnose and treat patients with unexplained and undiagnosed illnesses and injuries over a 24-hour cycle of care. The complexity of the role in EDs is often not fully understood, and expectations can vary between trusts and between different clinical areas within trusts. This article describes one night shift in the author's ED to explain the complexity of advanced nurse practitioners' roles in this environment. The article focuses on autonomous decision-making skills and the use of advanced clinical skills in the context of evidence-based practice.

Advanced nurse practitioner-led referral for specialist care and rehabilitation

In response to the need for appropriate and timely care of frail older patients admitted to hospital, a dedicated advanced nurse practitioner (ANP)-led referral service was developed. The service has continued to evolve over the 13 years since its implementation in accordance with changing service demands. This article describes the role of the ANP in care of the elderly/rehabilitation medicine and focuses on one area of clinical practice developed by the team: an ANP-led referral service. The aim of developing the service was to ensure that patients who required specialist care and rehabilitation could be identified and assessed as soon as possible after admission, with the premise that they could be transferred to a bed in care of the elderly medical wards. This was perceived by the ANPs to be advantageous for patients, who would receive care from a specialist team, and for care of the elderly staff who could use their knowledge and skills appropriately and safely.

Nurse-led management of chronic disease in a residential care setting

Introduction of the advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) role has enabled nurses to develop their clinical knowledge and skills, providing greater service provision and improved access to healthcare services. It can also help with the challenges of providing care to an ageing population in primary care. This article reports on the evaluation of an ANP-led clinic in two residential care homes that provides annual reviews for chronic disease management (CDM). A mixed method approach was used to evaluate the service using clinical data obtained from the electronic patient record system and software and patient satisfaction questionnaires. The number of patients receiving CDM reviews in the homes increased as a result of the clinic. Completed satisfaction questionnaires further demonstrated patients' satisfaction and willingness to engage with the service. The service highlights the ANP's effectiveness in managing residential care home patients with chronic diseases and improving their access to healthcare services.

The contribution of the HIV specialist nurse to HIV care: a scoping review

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To systematically identify and critically examine the evidence of the contribution of the HIV nurse specialist to provision of HIV care in the UK and other developed countries.

BACKGROUND

The HIV clinical nurse specialist role has evolved over the past two decades in response to changes in two areas of HIV care: first, changes in the treatment and care of those with HIV and second, changes and development in advanced nursing practice. The challenges facing HIV care require the development of innovative services including a greater contribution of HIV specialist nurses. A review of current evidence is required to inform developments.

DESIGN

A review.

METHODS

A broad search strategy was used to search electronic databases. Grey literature was accessed through a variety of approaches. Preference was given to UK literature with inclusion of international publications from other developed countries where relevant.

RESULTS

Fourteen articles were included. Four themes were identified: the diversity of the clinical role; a knowledge and skills framework for HIV nursing practice; the education and training role of the HIV nurse specialist; and the effectiveness of the HIV nurse specialist. The findings mainly focus on the clinical aspects of the role with little evidence concerning other aspects. There is limited evidence to indicate clinical effectiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

HIV care is facing substantial challenges, and there is a clear need to develop effective and efficient services, including expanding the contribution of HIV nurse specialists. Such developments need to occur within a framework that optimises nursing contribution and measures their impact on HIV care. This review provides a baseline to inform such developments.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This review of the literature details current understanding of the role of HIV specialist nurses and the contribution that they make to HIV care.

Master's programs in advanced nursing practice: new strategies to enhance course design for subspecialty training in neonatology and pediatrics

The advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) role first developed in the USA in the 1960s in primary care. Since then, it has evolved in many different countries and subspecialties, creating a variety of challenges for those designing and implementing master's programs for this valuable professional group. We focus on ANPs in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care setting to illustrate the complexity of issues faced by both faculty and students in such a program. We review the impact of limited resources, faculty recruitment/accreditation, and the relationship with the medical profession in establishing a curriculum. We explore the evidence for the importance of ANP role definition, supervision, and identity among other health professionals to secure a successful role transition. We describe how recent advances in technology can be used to innovate with new styles of teaching and learning to overcome some of the difficulties in running master's programs for small subspecialties. We illustrate, through our own experience, how a thorough assessment of the available literature can be used to innovate and develop strategies to create an individual MSc programs that are designed to meet the needs of highly specialized advanced neonatal and pediatric nursing practice.