The Perceptions of Advanced Nurse Practitioners within AEC.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A hermeneutic phenomenological study exploring the perceptions of Advanced Nurse Practitioners on their role within the Ambulatory Emergency care (AEC) setting.
IRAS ID
273978
Contact name
Sarah Gonet
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St George's, University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
The NHS is under substantial pressure due to financial constraints, recruitment difficulties and the increasingly ageing population. The importance of same day emergency care services, such as Ambulatory Emergency Care (AEC) has been identified as a way to better manage patient flow, improve patient experience and\nreduce acute hospital admissions. AEC services essentially provide same day urgent diagnostic investigations and treatment for patients who would have traditionally been admitted into hospital. \n\nAdvanced Nurse Practitioners (ANP) are frequently employed within the AEC setting. An ANP can be defined as a registered nurse who is educated to Masters (MSc) level, and makes autonomous decisions regarding patient assessment, diagnosis and treatment.\n\nThe ANP role has been widely studied in the literature, and multiple systematic reviews have shown that ANPs positively impact upon patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, reduce mortality rates, hospital admissions and length of stay. However, little empirical evidence has been gleaned directly from ANPs’ perceptions, which is significant in order to provide a comprehensive and accurate portrayal of the role. \n\nTherefore, this qualitative research project aims to explore the perceptions of Advanced Nurse Practitioners on their role within the Ambulatory Emergency care setting. \n\nANPs will be recruited from three separate NHS Trusts. Up to 12 ANPs who are employed within an Ambulatory Emergency Care setting will be eligible to participate in the study. \n\nEnrolled participants will be interviewed by the researcher with the aim to explore their perceptions on different aspects of their role. Interviews will be semi-structured and last approximately one hour duration. \n\nThe study is expected to last 8 months in total: February 2020 - October 2020. \n
REC name
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REC reference
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