A cross-sectional study on Chinese senior nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward nurse practitioners

Nurses represent China's largest healthcare workforce. Nurse practitioners (NPs) play an essential role in providing cost-effective quality healthcare and bridging the healthcare gaps. However, NPs are relatively new in China, and limited evidence exists on senior nurses' knowledge of and attitudes toward NPs.

This study aimed to describe senior nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and perceived facilitators and barriers of NPs in China using a self-designed, culturally adaptive questionnaire.

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 412 senior nurses in Hunan Province from December 2021 to January 2022. The Knowledge and Attitudes towards Nurse Practitioners Questionnaire (KANPQ) was developed based on the Delphi method, which included 30 items under three dimensions: knowledge (22 items), attitude (2 items), and perceived facilitators and barriers (6 items). Multivariate linear regression was conducted to explore factors associated with senior nurses' attitudes toward NPs.

The average KANPQ knowledge score was 68.56 ± 22.69, with 55.09%,10.20%, and 34.71% of participants showing good, moderate, and poor levels of knowledge, respectively. The average KANPQ attitude score was 7.79 ± 1.72, with 65.3% thinking NPs were necessary and 69.9% expressing willingness to become NPs. Nurses with higher professional titles and better knowledge of NPs had more positive attitudes toward NPs. The three most frequently mentioned barriers to NP implementation were patient trust, laws, and education.

Approximately one-third of senior nurses have poor knowledge and negative attitudes toward NPs, indicating much room for improvement. Strengthening the education and training of NPs, especially among those with lower professional titles and lower knowledge of NPs, may help improve their knowledge and attitudes toward NPs. In addition, continuous political, social, economic, and individual efforts are needed to facilitate the successful development of NPs in China.