Implementation of Advanced Practice Nurses for Specific Patient Groups

Problem and Relevance Due to the complexity of caring for individuals with various health conditions and their individual needs, new care models aligned with the current state of scientific knowledge are highly relevant in nursing practice. One such model involves the deployment of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs), who are educated at master's level and therefore possess an advanced understanding of theories and models, as well as enhanced competencies in patient care. The implementation of APNs has been associated with, among other outcomes, reduced hospital readmission rates, improved patient quality of life, enhanced quality of care and nursing services, and increased job satisfaction among nursing staff. Objective The objective of the accompanying study is to evaluate structures, processes, and experiences related to the implementation of APN roles at Salzkammergut Hospital Vöcklabruck, part of Oberösterreichische Gesundheitsholding, within the clinical areas of urology and andrology, pulmonology, visceral surgery, and vascular surgery. The aim is to identify facilitating and hindering factors affecting APN implementation. Furthermore, recommendations for the sustainable integration of APNs into clinical practice will be developed. Design The evaluation is planned as a mixed-methods study using a convergent parallel design. Methods As part of the accompanying research on APN role implementation, existing structures and processes within the hospital, as well as the perspectives of APNs and members of the intra- and interprofessional healthcare team, will be examined and jointly interpreted within a convergent parallel design. Based on these findings, recommendations for sustainable APN implementation will be derived. Both qualitative data (collected through individual interviews and focus group interviews) and quantitative data (collected through standardized questionnaires and a structure-process assessment tool) will be gathered. Qualitative data will be analyzed using Kuckartz's qualitative content analysis with the support of the software MAXQDA24. Quantitative data from the standardized questionnaires will be analyzed descriptively using SPSS version 30, while data from the structure-process assessment tools will be analyzed using Microsoft Excel.

Inclusion Criteria: * Registered Nurses holding a consecutive master's degree (300 ECTS credits), Junior APN * Senior APN (master's degree holder), responsible for mentoring and supporting the Junior APNs within the hospital setting; * Members of the intraprofessional team (Registered Nurses and Nursing Assistants); and * Members of the interprofessional team who collaborate with the APNs in the care of the respective patient populations (physicians, allied health professionals, and therapists). All employees at Salzkammergut Hospital Vöcklabruck Exclusion Criteria: * not an employee at Salzkammergut Hospital Vöcklabruck