Advanced practice nurses: Analysis of their role from a multicentre cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Management
• Public Health

Background:

• Healthcare systems face challenges including workforce inefficiencies and nursing shortages.
• There is a growing global demand for advanced practice nursing (APN) services.
• Optimizing nursing competencies and scope of practice is key to strengthening healthcare models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify nurses meeting advanced practice nurse (APN) defining criteria in Catalonia, Spain.
• To determine the roles and positions of these APNs across different care levels.
• To assess the current landscape of advanced practice nursing in the region.

Main Methods:

• Translation and validation of the Advanced Practice Nurse Role Delineation Tool (IDREPA) to Catalan.
• A multicentre, cross-sectional study involving 126 healthcare centres and 1209 nurses.
• Reporting adherence to the STROBE checklist for study transparency.

Main Results:

• The validated IDREPA instrument demonstrated high content validity (0.958) and reliability.
• A total of 269 nurses were identified as aligning with international APN criteria.
• These APNs predominantly work in specialized, mental, primary, and community care, focusing on chronic conditions, aging, and end-of-life care.

Conclusions:

• Catalonia has access to nurses practicing at APN criteria, offering an optimal resource for patient needs.
• Strategic implementation and recognition are crucial for fully utilizing APN competencies.
• Further development of APN criteria, including credentialing and regulation, is essential for healthcare policy impact.