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Advanced practice nursing and conceptual models of nursing.

This column focuses on advanced practice nursing. A definition and central competency of advanced practice are given and four roles assumed by advanced practice nurses are identified. Questions related primarily to the advanced practice role of nurse practitioner are raised. Two nurse scholars who teach and practice discuss their experiences as advanced practice nurses, with an emphasis on the importance of using a conceptual model of nursing as a guide for their practice.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Advanced practice nursing: unification through a common identity.

Despite the wide variety of advanced practice roles in nursing and the well-documented differences among them [Hamric, A. (2000). A definition of advanced nursing practice. In A. Hamric, J. Spross, & C. Hanson (Eds.), Advanced nursing practice: An integrative approach (pp. 53-73). Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders], the authors suggest that nurses in these roles should adopt a common identity, that of an "advanced practice nurse" (APN). The authors outline the development of advanced practice nursing in Canada and the United States, tracking historical influences and highlighting current issues facing APNs. The authors explore elements that constitute the definable and describable core of advanced practice nursing-knowledge, education, scope of practice, regulatory issues, and outcomes. They conclude that adoption of a common identity for all advanced practice nursing roles may clarify role confusion (which is currently experienced within and outside the profession), reinforce links between knowledge development and nursing practice, and ensure that advanced nursing practice is responsive to the needs of society.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Collaboration in cancer nursing practice.

Although nursing represents around half of Europe's healthcare budgets, its impact is seldom evaluated. However, given the current era of cost-containment, nursing must prove the value of its clinical effectiveness. Through European collaboration, the WISECARE project is working towards identifying the unique contribution of cancer nursing. This paper will explain the rationale and goals of the WISECARE project and demonstrate the collaborative processes involved within such a project. The latest results of the project will be presented to prove the value of collaboration in ensuring the development of European standards of nursing care.

Clinical Competence↗

Analysis of ambulatory nursing practice.

A nursing patient classification system can be used in ambulatory care to facilitate decision making relative to staffing assignments and to begin examining differences in patients' nursing care requirements according to medical diagnosis or other patient characteristics.

Age Factors↗

Laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures in orthopedic nursing practice.

Orthopedic nurses need to know the clinical significance of their clients' laboratory test because critical analysis of the results is essential for clinical decision making. Nurses are expected to use the results in their own plan of care. Client education about diagnostic tests is also an important role of the orthopedic nurse.

Diagnostic Tests, Routine↗

Variations in nursing practice environments: relation to staffing and hospital characteristics.

BACKGROUND: While improvements in nursing practice environments are considered essential to address the nursing shortage, relatively little is known about the nursing practice environments in most hospitals. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to describe variations in nursing practice environments across hospitals and to examine their associations to hospital bed size, community size, teaching intensity, and nurse staffing levels. METHODS: The research design was cross-sectional analyses of nurse survey and administrative data for 156 Pennsylvania hospitals from 1999. For comparative reference, nurse survey data from earlier years from two small samples of nursing magnet hospitals were analyzed. The nursing practice environment was measured by the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI). RESULTS: Nursing practice environments varied greatly among the hospitals studied. The nursing practice environments of the small samples of magnet hospitals were superior to those of the Pennsylvania sample. About 17% of the hospitals in the Pennsylvania sample had favorable practice environments. Pennsylvania hospitals with better practice environments had higher RN-to-bed ratios. Practice environment differences were not associated with hospital bed size or community size. Hospitals with a modest teaching level had less favorable environments. DISCUSSION: Considerable variation exists in the quality of hospital nursing practice environments. Five out of six hospitals are targets for improvement. Favorable nursing practice environments can be achieved in a wide variety of hospital settings.

Acute Disease↗

Is the SANE role within the scope of nursing practice? On "pelvics," "colposcopy," and "dispensing of medications".

Clearly communicating with other professionals and with sexual assault survivors about the boundaries and imitations of the SANE medical-forensic examination is important. Although SANEs work cooperatively in an interdisciplinary sexual assault response team model to better meet the needs of sexual assault victims, they function as independent professional nurses in their role of collecting medical forensic evidence. Properly defined to focus on assessment, identification, and documentation of trauma, the SANE role is an independent professional role but is still within the scope of basic nursing practice. The answer to our question, "Is the SANE role advanced practice nursing or is it within the scope of basic nursing practice?" is thus "The SANE role is clearly within the scope of basic nursing practice."

Colposcopy↗

Characteristics of nursing practice models.

Are there differences among the nursing practice dimensions of the three major nursing practice models--team nursing, case management, and total patient care? The author, whose study found few differences, discusses reasons for the similarity among models and suggests approaches to designing future nursing practice models.

Ancillary Services, Hospital↗

Ethical codes in nursing practice: the viewpoint of Finnish, Greek and Italian nurses.

AIM: This paper is a report of a study exploring the use of ethical codes and obstacles to their use in nursing practice as perceived by Finnish, Greek and Italian nurses. BACKGROUND: In all European countries nurses are responsible for the well-being of patients, for their own technical and ethical competence and, for their own part, for the high standard of health care in society. These points illustrate the central content areas of nursing codes of ethics. Recent advances in medical technology have added to the complexity of nursing. Nurses today are increasingly confronted with ethical dilemmas, underlining the role and meaning of ethical codes in their decision-making. However, there is only very limited research literature on codes of ethics, their use in nursing practice and obstacles to their use. METHODS: Twenty-three focus group interviews were conducted in 2003 with a total of 138 Registered Nurses: 35 in Finland, 54 in Greece and 49 in Italy. The data were content analysed. FINDINGS: Two main categories emerged from our analysis of the use of ethical codes: (1) conscious and (2) unconscious use. Seven main categories described the obstacles to the use of ethical codes: (1) the codes themselves, (2) nurses themselves, (3) multiprofessional teamwork, (4) patients' family members, (5) the organization, (6) the nursing profession and (7) society/healthcare policy. Participants in all three countries were firmly committed to the values expressed in ethical nursing codes. Nonetheless, continued efforts are needed in all these countries to remove the remaining obstacles so that nursing care can be provided in keeping with the requirements of ethical codes. CONCLUSION: The use of codes is connected with the changes in nursing profession and in society at large. The core of nursing, however, has remained stable. Future studies should be conducted in order to generalize the findings to a broader population.

Adult↗

Teaming with students and a Sacred Cow Contest to make changes in nursing practice.

Many current nursing traditions and practices were developed over time by nurses who used a trial and error method of research. Nursing has passed along these practices through nursing education programs and in the policies and procedures established by hospitals. Do these practices have sound scientific principles behind their use, or are they just traditions that are difficult to change? This article explores the experience of one educator trying to make changes in the attitudes of students toward research and suggests how this process can be applied in the day-to-day practice of staff nurses.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Positioning advanced practice nurses for financial success in clinical practice.

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are well prepared for patient care, but not for the financial aspects of clinical practice. A lack of reimbursement knowledge and skills limits the prospects for APNs to be key players in business and practice ventures. Faculty are challenged to strengthen the advanced practice reimbursement component of the financial management core to promote the reimbursement competency of APNs. The author discusses 4 primary content categories that are critical to financial success in clinical practice.

Current Procedural Terminology↗

Smoking cessation activities by general practitioners and practice nurses.

OBJECTIVES: To assess general practitioners' and practice nurses' self reported behaviour, attitudes, and knowledge in relation to smoking cessation. DESIGN AND SETTING: Two postal surveys of random national samples of 303 GPs (survey 1) and 459 practice nurses (survey 2) covering England and Wales; effective response rates were 75% and 96%, respectively. RESULTS: Survey 1 found that 96% of GPs accepted that intervening against smoking was part of their role and almost all (99%) said that they recorded smoking status when patients registered; 57% reported that they routinely updated their records on smoking status, 50% said they advised smokers to stop during most or all consultations, and 76% said they advised smokers to cut down if they cannot stop. A large majority (83%) said they either recommended or prescribed nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Although most GPs (86%) thought that NRTs were effective, only a minority thought they were worth the cost (47%) or should be on National Health Service (NHS) prescription (32%). There was little evidence that previous training in smoking cessation was associated with more activity, more positive attitudes, or greater knowledge. Survey 2 found that almost all practice nurses (99%) agreed that intervening against smoking was part of their role and 95% said they advised patients to stop at least occasionally; 71% said they advised smokers to stop at most or all consultations. A majority (74%) said that they recommended NRT to their patients. As with the GPs most practice nurses thought that nicotine replacement was effective (79%), but fewer (42%) thought the cost was justified, and only about half (53%) thought it should be available on NHS prescription. Nurses who said they had been trained in smoking cessation engaged in more activity relating to smoking cessation, had more positive attitudes, and were more knowledgeable. CONCLUSION: GPs and practice nurses accepted that intervening with smoking was an important part of their role and a large majority reported that they intervened at least with some smokers. This represents a promising baseline from which to proceed in terms of implementation of the new smoking cessation guidelines, but it is hoped that improvements can be made in terms of the frequency of updating records and intervening, and acceptance of the cost-effectiveness of NRT as a life preserving intervention.

Adult↗

Advanced practice nurses: starting an independent practice.

Independent or private practice is the delivery of nursing services provided by nurses over which nurses have full control. With a changing healthcare system, nurses are in a prime position to negotiate the delivery of appropriate, acceptable, and cost-effective health care as independent practitioners. This article addresses the mission and goals of independent practice, community need, business structure of the practice, housing the practice, legal considerations, financing the practice, marketing issues, clientele, record keeping, and reimbursement.

Humans↗

The role of the practice nurse. An exploratory study.

AIM: There is little research on the role of the practice nurse in Australia. However, there is some evidence that practice nurses are no longer primarily receptionists, but rather function as nurses. This article reports on a small qualitative study that set out to identify areas of effective shared care between general practitioners and practice nurses. METHOD: Semistructured interviews were conducted with general practitioners and practice nurses in eight general practices. A general practitioner who did not employ a practice nurse and a general practitioner and two nurse practitioners at a Community Health Centre were also interviewed. RESULTS: It was found that general practitioners and practice nurses have established effective working relationships that enhance patient care. Shared care was not found, except to some extent in the area of wound care. CONCLUSION: Most GPs and practice nurses interviewed believed that the current funding model, requiring GPs to sight all patients before a fee can be claimed, restricts the potential use of practice nurses' expertise, for example with patients returning for routine blood tests or blood pressure monitoring, or wound dressing. A change to the current model would have implications for the education and accreditation of practice nurses.

Australia↗

The research potential of practice nurses.

Little is known about the research aspirations and experiences of practice nurses. The study discussed in the present paper had three main aims: (1) to assess the level of research interest among practice nurses working in Essex and East London, UK; (2) to identify practice nurses' research priorities; and (3) to explore factors which facilitate and impede the development of practice nursing research. All practice nurses (n = 1,054) in the above areas were sent a questionnaire, and a total of 40% (n = 426) responded after two follow-up letters. Fifty-five respondents who volunteered for further participation were interviewed, either individually or in focus groups. About half (n = 207) of the survey respondents expressed an interest in undertaking research. One-third (n = 145) reported previous participation in research, and 20% (n = 85) had initiated their own research. Logistic regression showed that practice nurses educated to graduate level, and those working in practices with nurse training or participation in external research, were most likely to want to undertake research. Working in a medical training practice was found to be a negative predictor of research interest. Respondents prioritised research into long-term health problems with a high prevalence in the local population; for example, diabetes. Their reasons for wishing to engage in research included improving the service, career development, making work more interesting and reducing isolation. The main barriers identified were lack of time, lack of support from some general practitioners and poor access to higher education resources outside formal courses. The development of practice nurse research would provide a distinctive perspective on health need and service provision. It would contribute to the achievement of the national strategic objective of improving the quality of primary care, enhance the status of the profession, utilise the enthusiasm of individuals, increase job satisfaction and staff retention, and answer real questions.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Evaluating the impact of primary nursing practice on the quality of nursing care: a Nigerian study.

This paper is abstracted from an action research project on promoting family-centred care in Nigeria through the practice of Nigerian Primary Nursing (NMPN). This article will present results of comparative evaluation of the impact of primary nursing on the quality of care received by patients in a 37-bedded acute medical-surgical, mixed sex ward in a specialist hospital in eastern Nigeria. A total of 44 nurses' interactions with 10 patients in the pre-NMPN period and 58 nurses' interactions with eight patients in the post-NMPN period were assessed using QUALPACS (Quality Patient Care Scale.). Results showed a significant improvement in the quality of nursing care with primary nursing practice. The greatest improvement in quality of nursing appeared to be in the elements that address the individual needs of the patient, while the smallest improvements were in the area of physical care--elements of routine, technical nursing care. Implications of the study and recommendations for further studies are made.

Adolescent↗

Clinical practice: new challenges for the advanced practice nurse.

This report describes the challenges for advanced practice nurses (APNs) relative to supply and demand issues. The article also includes opportunities with the Balanced Budget Act, physician acceptance of Advanced Practice Nurses, and expanding practice opportunities. The challenges include the nursing shortage (both in nursing students and faculty), the aging of the nursing workforce, and a lag in nursing salaries; increased demand for nursing based on aging baby boomers, increasing patient acuity and technology, and new arenas for practice. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 provided new opportunities for advanced practice nurses, including enhanced autonomy to provide services and bill independently of physicians. With these changes come new opportunities for advanced practice nurse entrepreneurs in the areas of independent practice, including opportunities to positively impact the health of families and communities in alignment with the Federal government's vision for "Healthy People 2010." As physician acceptance of advanced practice nurses continues to grow and in light of the changes in medical practice and education (residency reduction), opportunities to expand collaborative practice arrangements also exist. APNs are best suited to make the most of these changes. One example of an opportunity for independent practice, a Community Wellness Center, is developed as an entrepreneurial venture benefiting both the APN and the health of a community. Who better than registered nurses (RNs), especially those practicing at the advanced level, can ensure that these opportunities and challenges are addressed in an ethical manner and focused on the needs and health of the community?

Government Programs↗

Integrating genetics into advanced practice nursing curriculum: strategies for success.

Keeping up with the volume of new genetic information emerging from the human genome project is a challenge for almost all healthcare providers, but nurses who received little or no formal genetic training often find it particularly intimidating. Nursing faculty may be reluctant to add genetic content to existing courses, much less tackle the work of teaching an entire course in genetics. This article provides nursing faculty with some strategies and straightforward curriculum modifications to assist them in integrating genetic content into graduate-level nursing curriculum. Advanced Practice Nurses in particular should understand genetics well enough to be aware of and appreciate the wide variety of genetic conditions that might be encountered in a clinical setting. The authors offer practical suggestions for incorporating genetics into Advanced Practice Nursing curricula.

Curriculum↗