Measuring the contribution and complexity of nurse and physiotherapy consultants: a feasibility study

Advanced practice roles in nursing and other health professions have become integral to a range of healthcare services world-wide providing experienced practitioners with the opportunity to extend their roles and influence decision making whilst maintaining patient contact. However, there has been limited research to evaluate the impact on health services of these advanced practice roles.The aim of this feasibility study was to analyse Nurse and Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Consultant activity in the four functions of the role (education, expert practice, leadership, research). A structured diary assessed the activity of five Consultant Nurses and one Consultant Physiotherapist over a one week period. Detailed analysis of a clinic carried out by one of the Consultants was undertaken using a mapping procedure.Results suggest that the activity diary, combined with mapping of activities, illustrate the complexity and variety of the role and facilitate meaningful reflection on what advanced practitioners do.