Exploring the Presence and Impact of Advanced Nursing Roles in Care Homes and Charitable Organisations: An...

Investing in advanced nursing roles (AN) in social care is a strategic priority to address workforce challenges, create new career pathways, improve outcomes and future-proof the sector. However, there is limited understanding of these roles globally. This systematic scoping review maps the international presence and impact of post-qualification advanced practice roles for registered nurses (RNs) working in care homes and charitable organisations.

This review was conducted following the methodology established by the JBI and adhered to the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews checklist.

Studies were included if (1) they included RNs working in care homes, charities or not-for-profit health centres, (2) the RN was in a specialist, enhanced or advanced practice role and (3) if role details were provided. Studies were limited to those published in the English language between 2014 and 2024. Evidence was gathered from a comprehensive search of electronic databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science), grey literature, relevant webpages, and reference lists. Expert consultations were also conducted. Eligible full texts were reviewed in Covidence software by two independent researchers.

The search yielded 575 records, and 89 were taken forward for full-text screening. A total of 20 met the inclusion criteria: 19 were concerned with AN roles in care homes, and one focused on a charitable organisation. The majority of these studies (n = 12) were conducted in North America.

The literature on AN roles in care homes and charitable organisations is notably sparse. Despite this, the available evidence highlights substantial benefits, including improved care quality, enhanced resident outcomes and positive impacts on team dynamics. This review identifies four key themes: scope of practice, positive impacts, influencing factors and barriers, which provide a framework for policymakers, healthcare leaders and educators to optimise the contributions of this group within the evolving global social care sector.

Not undertaken because of the nature of scoping reviews.

This review highlights the crucial role of advanced nurses in enhancing care quality, resident outcomes, and workforce sustainability in care homes and charitable organisations. The findings provide direction for policymakers and health and social care leaders to further develop the role of nursing in social care settings globally.