Co-Designing Nurse Practitioner Roles in a Tertiary Hospital: A Qualitative Exploration of Patterns and Underlying...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Practice
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Nurse practitioner (NP) roles are evolving, necessitating structured development processes.
• Co-design is increasingly utilized to integrate diverse professional perspectives in healthcare role creation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the patterns and dynamics in the co-design process of nurse practitioner role development.
• To identify factors influencing NP role evolution within a Belgian tertiary hospital setting.

Main Methods:

• Participatory action research combined with Grounded Theory principles.
• Conducted 16 interdisciplinary team meetings and 13 stakeholder interviews.
• Employed researcher triangulation and thematic analysis for data interpretation.

Main Results:

• Initial stakeholder conceptions significantly impacted NP role development.
• A dynamic interplay of individual, team, and contextual factors shaped role perceptions.
• Co-design facilitated evolving conceptions through shared insights and challenged misconceptions.
• Physician support was generally high, while nursing leadership perspectives were more fragmented.

Conclusions:

• Understanding initial stakeholder conceptions and addressing misconceptions is vital for NP role development.
• Balanced team composition and empowered nursing leadership are essential for successful co-design.
• Findings offer insights for healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and policy development regarding advanced nursing roles.