Comparative study on gerontological advanced practice nurses training between China and America / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To compare the differences between China and America in gerontological advanced practice nurses training, and to improve the quality of the training programs in China from the mature experience of America.Methods:Relative literature were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Database, Weipu Database, PubMed, Clinical Key Nursing and official websites of Chinese and American Nursing Associations, and the retrieved literature were screened and the contents were extracted. Then the training status of gerontological advanced practice nurses in China and America were analyzed and summarized.Results:The similarities and differences of seven elements of gerontological advanced practice nurses in China and America were introduced and compared, namely, classification and training mode, curriculum provision, core competence and faculty, qualification authentication and scope of practice.Conclusion:Drawing lessons from from America, we should explicit training target, set phased long training mechanism, strengthen the construction of teaching staff, and establish practice standards to propel and improve the nursing training program in China.

Common Scope of Practice for Advanced Practice Nurses in Korea Derived from Expert Agreement / 중환자간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study aimed to propose a common scope of practice (SOP) for 13 specialties of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) in Korea.METHODS: The first draft of a common SOP was extracted from domestic and international laws with a literature review by 17 experts from the Korean Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (KAAPN). Then, the common SOP was finalized after comparing the activities of APNs in clinical settings.RESULTS: A total of 70 duties were identified and six categories were suggested for the common SOP. The SOP proposed by the KAAPN featured the following: 1) identification of and discrimination between health problems; 2) prescription and implementation of diagnostic tests; 3) treatment of injuries and diseases while implementing measures to prevent exacerbation; 4) prescription of medicinal products in line with 1) to 3); 5) referral and consultation; and 6) education and counseling. It was then confirmed that the proposed six categories in the common SOP reflected all the duties performed by APNs in clinical practice, including all 40 activities.CONCLUSION: The results of this study can be used as evidence for the legalization of a common SOP for APNs. Given the increasing multidisciplinary team approach adopted in Korean hospitals, it may be desirable to establish a broader SOP to reflect the diverse duties of APNs.

A qualitative study on the change of practice of ICU advanced practice nurses be-fore and after training program / 中华护理杂志

Objective To describe the change of practice of ICU advanced practice nurses after attending ICU Clinical Nurse Specialist(CNS) training program in Shanghai. Methods A purposive sampling method was used to recruit 15 ICU advanced practice nurses and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Results Four themes regarding practice change were extracted,including extension of scope of practice,transformation of emphasis in work,promotion of clinical reforms and improvement of self-development. Conclusion The practice of ICU advanced practice nurses has changed after training,while the degree of change varies in different themes. Further quantitative researches should be conducted to provide more information for the development of ICU advanced practice nurses.

Construction of a basic competency framework for advanced practice nurses / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective To construct a basic competency framework for advanced practice nurses.Methods A primary index system was formed through literature review and expert consultation,the weight of each index was determined by hierarchy analysis.Results The expert authority coefficient was 0.857,Cronbrach alpha of the total system was 0.937.The index system consisted of 5 first-level items,11 second-level items and 46 third-level items.Conclusions The 62-item competency framework for APN is reliable and valid,which can provide quantified standards for selecting,training and evaluating advanced practice nurses.

The Relationship between Nursing Professionalism, Clinical Decision Making Abilities, and Job Performance in Advanced Practice Nurses / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: To identify the extents of nursing professionalism, clinical decision making abilities and job performance of advanced practice nurses and investigate the relationship among the variables. METHODS: Participants, selected by a convenience sampling method, were 135 advanced practice nurses working in 4 tertiary care general hospitals in 'B' Metropolitan City and in 1 tertiary care general hospital in 'J' city. Data collection was done from January 15 to February 28, 2013 using self-reporting questionnaires. RESULTS: The average score for nursing professionalism of study participants was 81.19+/-7.56. for clinical decision making abilities, 140.42+/-9.62 and for job performance, 102.54+/-10.30. These averages are relatively high. The relationship between the extent of nursing professionalism and the extent of clinical decision making abilities showed an intermediate level positive correlation (r=.45, p<.001). The relationship between the extent of nursing professionalism and the extent of job performance was also an intermediate level positive correlation (r=.42, p<.001). The extent of clinical decision making abilities and the extent of job performance was an intermediate level positive correlation (r=.41, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Developing a program, which can improve nursing professionalism and clinical decision making abilities of nurse, is required to enhance their job performance.

Importance, Satisfaction and Contribution of Advanced Practice Nurses' Role Recognized by Health Care Professionals / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify level of recognition of the importance, satisfaction and contribution of APNs' role by physicians, nurses, and advanced practice nurses. METHOD: Perceived importance and satisfaction were measured with a 23-item questionnaire on APN role with 5 subcategories. APNs' contribution was investigated using a 13-item outcome questionnaire developed by the researchers. Between August 15 and October 31, 2009, the researchers collected data from 68 physicians, 265 nurses, and 23 APNs all working in a single tertiary hospital. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis Test with Bonferroni's Correction and scatter plot. RESULT: The importance (3.24~3.39, 4 point scale), satisfaction (3.02~3.13, 4 point scale), and contribution of APNs' role (3.39~4.12, 5 point scale) were well recognized by the health care professionals. All the three health care professional groups rated APNs' contribution high in medical service management, continuity of care, patient accessibility, improvement in patient satisfaction, and patient and family education. 'Importance-Satisfaction Analysis' showed that patient data management by APNs needed greater effort. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show that the importance, satisfaction, contribution of APNs' role are recognized, and indicate a need for further development of APNs' role through efforts to overcome the gaps identified through this research.

Job Analysis of Korean Oncology Advanced Practice Nurses in Clinical Workplace: Using the DACUM Method / 종양간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to identify job definition, duties and tasks of Korean oncology Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) and assess frequency, importance, and difficulty for each of duty and task using the DACUM method. METHODS: The DACUM committee was organized with nine oncology APNs. The committee documented the job definition, duties and tasks based on their daily job descriptions. Validity of the elicited duties and tasks was tested by a study team and 6 oncology APNs. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey from 53 oncology APNs. RESULTS: The job description of oncology APNs was identified 12 duties and 66 tasks. Among the twelve duties, 'education for patients/ families' was the most frequently performed and was the most important duty. 'Case management' was the most difficult duty. Among 66 tasks, 'providing education for patients/families' was most frequently performed. 'Providing education for patients/families' and 'assessing patient condition comprehensively' were the most important tasks. 'Implementation research' as the principal investigator was perceived as the most difficult task. CONCLUSION: In this study, Korean oncology APNs' job performances were identified and analyzed. It is recommended that job description for oncology APNs needs to be standardized and reshaped in advanced way in future.