Cardiovascular nurse practitioner practice: results of a Canada-wide survey

Despite an increase in the number of nurse practitioners (NPs) practising within the realm of cardiovascular care, roles and responsibilities of cardiovascular NPs in similar areas appear to be vast and variable. With the recent changes in certification and regulation of the NP role by the Canadian Nurses Association, there has been an attempt to standardize patient care practices. In the spring of 2005, the University of Alberta Hospital-based cardiovascular NPs conducted a national survey. This survey was the first formalized attempt to gather information on the practice patterns of cardiovascular NPs and determine if similarities in roles, responsibilities, manpower and patient workload existed across Canada. A survey was mailed out to all centres that were known to have cardiovascular NPs in their employ. An impressive response rate of 63% was obtained. As predicted, survey results reveal that roles and responsibilities of cardiovascular NPs are diverse and unique. One hundred per cent of respondents were Masters-prepared with 88% of cardiovascular NPs practising in a ward and/or outpatient setting. However, reporting structure, patient workload, clinical, educational, administrative, and research responsibilities were more diversified. The results of the survey may facilitate a better understanding of the NP role within the health care setting and in cardiovascular care. In turn, the findings may provide a basis by which to establish a template for developing future NP roles or enhancing existing NP roles in cardiovascular centres across Canada.