Project lead: Franziska Geese

Supervisor: Denise Bryant-Lukosius, Sabine Hahn, Sandra Zwakhalen 

Goal: To inform decision-makers in policy, health human resources, and management for the effective delivery of cancer services in Switzerland by examining the current state of the advanced practice nurse cancer care workforce

Methods:

1. Systematic Review with narrative synthesis to summarize the latest evidence about advanced practice nurses’ job satisfaction in cancer care.
2. Cross-sectional study to describe structures (e.g., APN role and service characteristics and their utilization), processes (e.g., role activities and interventions), and perceived outcomes (e.g., role contributions, psychosocial well-being, job satisfaction, intent to stay) of the advanced practice nurse cancer care workforce in Switzerland.
3. Qualitative focus group study with advanced practice nurses in cancer care to describe the implementation of their role and the factors experienced that influence their clinical practice, job satisfaction, and psychosocial well-being.
4. Qualitative interview study with healthcare decision-makers to describe their perceptions of advanced practice nurses and how they can be utilized to improve the delivery of cancer services and patient health outcomes in Switzerland.

Status:

• Systematic Review finalized – published.
• Cross-sectional study finalized – results are partly published; second publication in progress.
• Qualitative focus group study finalized – publication in progress.
• Qualitative interview study finalized – publication in progress.

Project lead: Laura Hako

Supervisor: Krista Jokiniemi & Hannele Turunen

Goal: To examine and describe CNS capabilities in the international context

Methods:

1. A mixed method systematic review on advanced practice nurse capabilities to explore the published literature about capabilities in advanced practice nursing roles
2. A qualitative descriptive study to describe and explore the perspective of CNSs about the capabilities and the development of them
3. CNS capability scale construction and content validation

Status:

• Mixed method systematic review completed and published
• Data collection on progress for the qualitative descriptive study

Project lead: Amanda Santos

Supervisor: Ruth Martin-Misener

Goal: To examine models of care with NPs in Alberta’s EDs. This research aims to inform the development of specialized certification programs, alongside policy and practice decisions for NPs working in this setting. Ultimately, the objective is to enhance patient care and optimize resource utilization within EDs across the province

Methods:

1. Mixed-methods, exploratory sequential research design

Status:

• Successfully completed the comprehensive exam and currently developing the research proposal 

Project lead: Consuelo Cerón

Supervisor: Denise Bryant-Lukosius

Goal: To provide evidence-based recommendations to inform health decision-making and policies for optimal APN role implementation to improve Chilean PHC by exploring the perspectives and challenges identified by relevant stakeholders

Methods:

1. Conduct an Interpretive Critical Synthesis of the existing literature to develop an explanatory framework on the conditions under which the PEPPA framework has been used or described in health policies and decision-making related to APN roles
2. Conduct a descriptive qualitative study to describe and understand Chilean stakeholders’ perceptions of the role that advanced practice nurses could play in PHC, identifying facilitators, barriers and challenges related to health policy and labor market issues
3. Through the Consensus Method, reach consensus on recommendations and action plan to overcome the main obstacles and challenges for the implementation of APN role in PHC identified from the interviews, prioritizing strategies to advance in the formulation of policies that support APN role implementation

Project lead: Salma Almukhaini

Supervisor: Ruth Martin-Misener, Lori Weeks

Goal: Role development and utilization of Master’s-prepared Omani nurses working in clinical settings in Oman governmental health care system: a multiple case study

Methods:

1. Multiple Case studies involved two hospitals.
   • Scoping review aimed to map available evidence about advanced practice nursing role in Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean  region: Published in evidence synthesis 
   • Online survey targeting master’s-prepared Omani nurses (Manuscript submitted to  Nurse Education Today, April 2024)
   • Semi-structured individual interviews with Master’s-prepared Omani nurses, their policymakers/managers/ and co-workers and nurse educators.
   • Document review (e.g., nursing career pathway and job descriptions)

Status:

• PhD thesis completed and submitted to Dalhousie university on November 2023; currently in embargo state 

Outputs:

• The scoping review is published
• A manuscript title ” role development and utilization of master’s-prepared Omani nurses working in clinical settings : a multiple case study” accepted for publication in Journal of Nursing Education and Practice April 2024
• A manuscript title: “factors impacting the role development and utilization of master’s prepared Omani nurses: a multiple case study” submitted for publication in Nursing Forum January 2024
• A manuscript title ” utilization of master’s prepared Omani nurses: a national survey”  submitted for publication in Nurse Education Today”

Project lead: Samantha Horvath

Supervisor: Nancy Carter

Goal: A multi-phase study to identify and describe current Ontario emergency models of care with APNs, followed by an exploration of how these models have been developed and implemented, and to gain an understanding of the involved key stakeholders perceptions

Methods:

1. Scoping review of literature on APN roles in EDs to understand patient and organization outcomes
2. Explanatory sequential mixed methodological study involving:
   • Cross-sectional survey of Ontario EDs to identify and describe models of care utilizing APNs
   • Exploratory qualitative descriptive study to explore and describe the development, and implementation of the identified APN models of care from the perspective of the key stakeholders

Status:

• Scoping review complete and published
• Data collection completed and anlysis in progress for cross-sectional study
• Initial planning stages for qualitative recruitment and data collection