Leadership Roles, Care Models, and Effectiveness of Advanced Practice Nurse-Led Multidisciplinary Teams: A Scoping...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Leadership
• Healthcare Management
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• International evidence highlights leadership as a key characteristic of advanced practice nursing (APN) roles.
• APNs are increasingly leading sustainable care models within multidisciplinary teams, yet understanding of these models is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate the leadership roles of APNs in multidisciplinary teams.
• To identify and analyze care models employed by APN-led teams.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of APN-led multidisciplinary care.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review methodology was employed.
• The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist guided the review.
• Thirty-three studies were included in the analysis.

Main Results:

• Five distinct APN leadership roles were identified: individual contributor, decision-maker, facilitator, trainer, and manager.
• Three primary care models were observed: case management, group intervention, and transitional care.
• APN-led models showed equal or superior patient and organizational outcomes compared to physician-led models, with recognized value from caregivers and providers.

Conclusions:

• APN leadership roles are dynamic and adaptable for managing complex patient needs.
• Further research is needed on factors influencing APN-led multidisciplinary teams, especially role transitions.
• Policy and organizational changes are recommended to support APN leadership and practice.