Decisions by nurses in acute care to undertake expanded practice roles

Since 1992, expanded practice has been an important issue in the career progression of the qualified nurse. Its contemporary relevance in the early years of the 21st century is underpinned by recent and ongoing national initiatives to blur the boundaries between healthcare providers, and to regulate practice at a higher level. This article reports the findings of a survey and in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with nurses from across the UK, which explores their views and experiences in terms of decisions regarding whether or not to undertake expanded practice roles. Insights are gained in a variety of domains of expanded practice including preparation for the role, competency verification, perceptions of accountability and liability, effects on patient care, role refusal and utilization of evidence to underpin expanded practice. These reported views and experiences have important implications for current practice and future research.