Document Type
Article
Rights
Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence
Disciplines
3.3 HEALTH SCIENCES, Nursing, *political
Abstract
Aims and objectives
To inform and guide the development of a future model of specialist and advanced nursing and midwifery practice.
Background
There is a sizable body of empirical literature supporting the unique contributions of specialist and advanced practice roles to health care. However, there is very little international evidence to inform the integration of a future model for advanced or specialist practice in the Irish healthcare system.
Design
A qualitative study was conducted to initiate this important area of inquiry.
Methods
Purposive sampling was used to generate a sample of informants (n = 15) for the interviews. Nurses and midwives working in specialist and advanced practice and participants from other areas such as legislative, regulatory, policy, medicine and education were included in the sampling frame.
Results
Arguments for a new model of specialist and advanced practice were voiced. A number of participants proposed that flexibility within specialist and advanced practitioner career pathways was essential. Otherwise, there existed the possibility of being directed into specialised “silos,” precluding movement to another area of integrated practice. Future specialist and advanced practice education programmes need to include topics such as the development of emotional and political intelligence.
Conclusion
The contribution of specialist and advanced practice roles to the health service includes providing rapid access to care, seamless patient flow across services, early discharge and lead coordinator of the patient's care trajectory. There was a recommendation of moving towards a universal model to cultivate specialist and advanced nurse and midwife practitioners.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13964
Recommended Citation
O’Connor L. et al. (2018) The universal, collaborative and dynamic model of specialist and advanced nursing and midwifery practice: A way forward? Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27, e882-e894. doi: 10.1111/jocn.13964
Funder
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland
Publication Details
Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27, e882-e894.