Advanced Nurse Role Integration

Introduction

• In work practice, nurses take up a variety of roles;
• They make the nursing profession multifaceted and versatile as it constantly evolves;
• One of such roles is that of a scholar which means a proclivity for independent research and keeping up with the newest findings in the respective field;
• Improving digital literacy, which includes knowledge of informatics and healthcare technologies, is another must for an advanced care nurse;
• This presentation covers the key topics of advanced nursing care and strategies that help nurses transition into a more complex role.

Purpose Statement

• The purpose of this assignment is to synthesize knowledge regarding advanced nursing practice;
• This presentation explains the evolving role of the advanced practice nurse and the subroles that it comprises;
• Scholarship and evidence-based practice in the context of nursing care are explained;
• This presentation reviews standardized terminologies, informatics, and healthcare technology and how they relate to advanced nursing practice;
• It highlights the strategies necessary for the successful transition into an advanced practice nurse role;
• The end goal of this final presentation is to prepare a nurse for taking up a more advanced role with a more clear understanding of what it entails.

The Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse

• Medical replacement refers to nurses’ extended responsibilities that allow them to take up some doctors’ roles;
• By doing so, they “replace” doctors but remain limited in their autonomy (Gray, 2016);
• Role clarity means the presence of defined roles with clear connections between activities and outcomes (Bryant‐Lukosius et al., 2016);
• As the nursing profession continues to evolve, it becomes challenging to define the scope of advanced nursing care (Bryant‐Lukosius et al., 2016);
• Patient-centered care means combining care and cure, listening, and involving patients (Gray, 2016).

The Impact of the Chosen Topics on the Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse

• The nursing profession faces many stressors, which reflects the current state of health care;
• Role stress is not uncommon due to the rising demands exacerbated by workforce shortages;
• Nurses may find themselves confused about their roles if they are not defined;
• When serving as a replacement for a doctor, nurse may feel as if they are not receiving as much recognition as they deserve;
• Patient-centered care requires a nurse to change their paradigm and approach patient cases holistically.

Scholarship and Evidence-Based Practice

• Nursing research discovers and deepens new knowledge about health and health promotion;
• It specifically identifies nursing actions that could enhance health outcomes and improve sustainability of health care (Yancey, 2019);
• Teaching-learning refers to the two opposite roles that advanced nurses take up in their practice;
• They are lifelong learners that utilize new knowledge for educating patients and colleagues (Reynolds, 2020);
• Evidence-based practice refers to a problem-solving approach that integrates newest scientific knowledge (Yancey, 2019).

The Impact of the Chosen Topics on the Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse

• Nursing research is part of advanced nursing practice;
• It is not only done by nurses pursuing PhD but also holders of a graduate degree in nursing (Yancey, 2019);
• Nurses have to commit to a lifetime of learning and be up to date with the newest studies;
• Not only do they discover new knowledge but also share it with others, playing the role of educators;
• They should be ready to challenge old and outdated practices and lead change in the workplace.

Standardized Terminologies, Informatics, and Healthcare Technology

• Standardized nursing languages (SNLs) refers to a vocabulary that provides nurses across the globe with a common means of communication (Oreofe, 2018);
• SNL describe what nursing is, what nursing does, and how to codify certain activities (Oreofe, 2018);
• Electronic health records (EHR) can be seen as digital versions of patient charts;
• EHRs ensure instant availability to authorized users and a standardized way of logging information;
• Digital literacy refers to the ability to use information and communication technologies to locate, evaluate, and use information.

The Impact on Patient Outcomes

• Electronic health records reduce documentation time, which is important for overworked nurses (Campanella et al., 2016);
• The use of technology such as EHR results in a higher guideline adherence (Campanella et al., 2016);
• Healthcare information systems help to decrease the number of medication errors (Campanella et al., 2016);
• SNL lead to a better communication among nurses and other health care providers (Sani & Sani, 2015);
• Better workplace experiences mean staff cohesion and collaboration, which improves patient outcomes (Sani & Sani, 2015).

Strategies for Effective Transition

• Two factors have been found effective in facilitating transition into the advanced nursing role (Barnes, 2015);
• Utilizing previous experience to feel more at ease in the new role is one of them;
• Nurses may benefit from developing self-efficacy, or belief in one’s ability;
• Orientation is the second most important factor;
• It relieves stress and promotes a sense of confidence and security in novice advanced practice nurses (Barnes, 2015).

Conclusion

• Advanced nursing care means carrying out a wider variety of tasks in patient care;
• Since the scope is expanding, there is a need for role clarity;
• Advanced nursing care goes hand-in-hand with nursing research and evidence-based practice adoption;
• Digital literacy is a must for harnessing new technologies that improve patient outcomes;
• Self-efficacy and orientation help with adapting to the new role.

References

Barnes H. (2015). Exploring the Factors that Influence Nurse Practitioner Role Transition. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 11(2), 178–183.

Bryant‐Lukosius, D., Spichiger, E., Martin, J., Stoll, H., Kellerhals, S. D., Fliedner, M.,… & Schwendimann, R. (2016). Framework for evaluating the impact of advanced practice nursing roles. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 48(2), 201-209.

Campanella, P., Lovato, E., Marone, C., Fallacara, L., Mancuso, A., Ricciardi, W., & Specchia, M. L. (2016). The impact of electronic health records on healthcare quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The European Journal of Public Health, 26(1), 60-64.

Gray, A. (2016). Advanced or advancing nursing practice: what is the future direction for nursing? British Journal of Nursing, 25(1), 8-13.

Oreofe, A. I.,& Oyenike, A. M. (2018). Transforming practice through nursing innovative patient centered care: Standardized nursing languages. International Journal of Caring Science, 11(2), 1319-1322.

Reynolds L et al (2020) Nurses as educators: Creating teachable moments in practice. Nursing Times, 116(2), 25-28.

Sani, S., & Sani, A. M. (2015). Relationship between knowledge of standardized nursing language and working experience among nurses in Sokoto, Nigeria. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 4, 1008-1010.

Yancey, N. R. (2019). Evidence-based practice in nursing for teaching-learning: But is it really nursing? Nursing Science Quarterly, 32(1), 25-28.