AIM: To report the factors that influence clinical specialists' and advanced nurse practitioners' ability to enact their clinical and professional leadership roles; findings from the SCAPE study. BACKGROUND: The importance of leadership for specialist and advanced practitioners is highlighted in the international literature and is considered an important factor in the provision of improved patient outcomes. Despite many studies identifying the barriers in developing and integrating new specialist/advanced practice roles into health services, little is known about the factors that influence the leadership dimension of their role. METHOD: A case study design involving 23 clinical specialist/advanced practitioners working in Ireland and multidisciplinary team members working with them, was used. Data were collected using interview, observation and documentary analysis. RESULTS: Four mediating factors influence the specialist/advanced practitioner's ability to perform a leadership role, namely the presence of a framework for the professional development of the role; opportunities to act as leaders; mechanisms for sustaining leadership; and personal attributes of practitioners. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nursing/midwifery leaders and managers at all levels have a key role in supporting leadership potential, through countering the negative impact of professional isolation, expanding opportunities for specialist/advanced practitioners to influence policy and network with wider professional groups.
AIM: To report the factors that influence clinical specialists' and advanced nurse practitioners' ability to enact their clinical and professional leadership roles; findings from the SCAPE study. BACKGROUND: The importance of leadership for specialist and advanced practitioners is highlighted in the international literature and is considered an important factor in the provision of improved patient outcomes. Despite many studies identifying the barriers in developing and integrating new specialist/advanced practice roles into health services, little is known about the factors that influence the leadership dimension of their role. METHOD: A case study design involving 23 clinical specialist/advanced practitioners working in Ireland and multidisciplinary team members working with them, was used. Data were collected using interview, observation and documentary analysis. RESULTS: Four mediating factors influence the specialist/advanced practitioner's ability to perform a leadership role, namely the presence of a framework for the professional development of the role; opportunities to act as leaders; mechanisms for sustaining leadership; and personal attributes of practitioners. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nursing/midwifery leaders and managers at all levels have a key role in supporting leadership potential, through countering the negative impact of professional isolation, expanding opportunities for specialist/advanced practitioners to influence policy and network with wider professional groups.
Authors: Pedro Sastre-Fullana; Jose Miguel Morales-Asencio; Albert Sesé-Abad; Miquel Bennasar-Veny; Juan Carlos Fernández-Domínguez; Joan De Pedro-Gómez Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2017-02-23 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Imelda Coyne; Catherine M Comiskey; Joan G Lalor; Agnes Higgins; Naomi Elliott; Cecily Begley Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2016-04-26 Impact factor: 2.655