[Health support staff: resources or links for nurses?]

Area of Science:

• Nursing and Healthcare Management
• Healthcare Workforce Development
• Healthcare Operations

Background:

• Healthcare systems face resource limitations and inefficiencies, particularly in public sectors.
• The introduction of new support personnel, such as the nursing support personnel (OSS), presents both opportunities and challenges.
• Effective integration of OSS requires a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities within the healthcare team.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate nurses' readiness and perceptions regarding the integration of nursing support personnel (OSS).
• To explore the competencies and responsibilities nurses assign to OSS.
• To identify necessary adjustments in nursing roles and collaboration models for effective OSS integration.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative inquiry to explore nurses' perspectives.
• Analysis of nurses' attributed competencies and responsibilities for OSS.
• Examination of organizational rationality and resource allocation in healthcare settings.

Main Results:

• Nurses' perceptions regarding the readiness for OSS integration were explored.
• Specific competencies and responsibilities were identified as crucial for OSS roles.
• The study highlighted the need for clear role definition and collaborative frameworks.

Conclusions:

• The nursing profession must proactively analyze and clarify its operational scope and collaboration models.
• Successful integration of OSS is contingent upon defining roles and fostering interprofessional collaboration.
• Addressing resource limitations requires strategic workforce planning and role optimization.