An emerging role for nurse practitioners--preoperative assessment

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Delivery
• Nursing Practice
• Surgical Care

Background:

• Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are increasingly expanding their scope of practice beyond traditional primary care settings.
• Preoperative assessment is a critical phase in the patient journey, influencing surgical outcomes.
• Existing models of preoperative assessment may benefit from integration with nursing expertise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the health-related literature on the impact of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in preoperative assessment.
• To explore the potential of a specialized NP role in preoperative assessment.
• To evaluate NPs as an alternative to current preoperative assessment models.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of health-related studies.
• Analysis of existing medical and nursing models of care.
• Exploration of the emerging role of NPs in surgical settings.

Main Results:

• Evidence suggests NPs can effectively contribute to preoperative assessment.
• Merging medical and nursing models can enhance preoperative care.
• The NP role presents a viable alternative to traditional assessment approaches.

Conclusions:

• Nurse Practitioners are well-positioned to develop a specialty role in preoperative assessment.
• Integrating NP expertise can optimize preoperative care delivery.
• Further research is warranted to fully define and implement this emerging role.