Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners最新文献

Background: In post-acute care (PAC) settings, residents face elevated risks of adverse drug reactions and emergency department visits because of polypharmacy. With over 90% of PAC residents nationally taking five or more medications, targeted deprescribing of inappropriate or unnecessary medications emerges as a critical strategy.

Local problem: The project site faces high rates of polypharmacy with a root cause analysis revealing a deficiency in evidence-based practices (EBP) for deprescribing potentially inappropriate or unnecessary medications. To address this issue, a bundled deprescribing intervention was implemented as part of a quality improvement project aimed at reducing polypharmacy rates.

Methods: This project, conducted at a PAC setting in the midwestern United States, used the RE-AIM Model. Data collection involved tracking prescribing rates before and after the intervention for residents admitted to the practice setting over a 5-month period.

Intervention: A bundled EBP intervention comprising a deprescribing framework, pharmacist collaboration, and the utilization of an EBP guideline, established a systematic process guiding deprescribing efforts for each resident on admission to the PAC setting.

Results: Fourty-nine patients received a deprescribing bundle, resulting in a 26.67% reduction in prescribed medications. On average, patients had 5.55 medications deprescribed, with reductions noted across 85 distinct therapeutic drug categories.

Conclusion: Nurse practitioners play a pivotal role initiating successful deprescribing interventions within the PAC setting. Using a comprehensive approach, integrating pharmacist collaboration and EBP leads to reductions in prescribing rates among PAC residents. This model demonstrates potential for sustainable improvements in patient outcomes within the PAC environment.

Background: An increased demand for pediatric-focused advanced practice providers (APPs) exists to address the health care needs of children with medical complexity. Postlicensure advanced practice fellowship programs have been developed to help improve novice provider transition to practice, reducing attrition.

Objectives: The objectives of this integrative review are to (1) identify outcome measurements of pediatric-focused advanced practice fellowship programs and (2) evaluate the outcome measures to guide future implications for practice.

Data sources: A systematic integrative literature review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Google Scholar were searched in August and September 2022. Articles met inclusion criteria if they included new graduate APPs, reported the intervention of a pediatric fellowship program, and shared outcome measurements. Studies were excluded if they did not directly report on fellowship program outcome measures. Thirteen studies met inclusion criteria and were summarized and appraised for quality using the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model.

Conclusions: Four themes from the literature included the favorable impact of advanced practice fellowship programs on (a) job satisfaction, (b) retention, (c) clinical and professional performance, and (d) financial outcomes. Variable strategies were used to measure outcomes across programs.

Implications for practice: Postlicensure pediatric-focused advanced practice fellowship programs seem to improve retention and job satisfaction, increase provider confidence, and bring a favorable return on investment for the organization. Future work should include investment in developing validated, standardized assessment tools to support future development of these programs in the pediatric population.

Abstract: Since the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) was implemented, there has been ongoing discussion about whether or not DNP-prepared faculty are eligible for promotion and tenure. This column updates that discussion through input from two DNP-prepared faculty key informants.

Background: Nurse practitioners (NPs) are critical in delivering primary health care, especially in underserved and rural areas. Transitioning from academic training to practical application poses challenges, highlighting the need for structured post-licensure training (PLT).

Purpose: To address the knowledge gap regarding the impact of PLT programs on the clinical development, confidence, and care delivery of NPs using an innovative evaluative approach.

Methodology: Using a mixed-methods approach, this study engaged 19 NP fellows in quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Assessments of clinical skills and feedback were collected using the REDCap platform, focusing on mentorship and the practical application of skills.

Results: Quantitative analysis showed improvements in several domains: patient-centered care (median score increase from 8 to 10, p = .005), knowledge of evidence-based practice (median score from 8 to 9, p = .028), and health systems (median score from 8 to 9, p = .014). Qualitative feedback underscored the benefits of the program's structured support and practical learning experiences while revealing the need for improvements in mentor preparedness.

Conclusions: The PLT program effectively advanced NP proficiency across various domains, particularly in patient-centered care and evidence-based practice. However, it also highlighted a crucial need for focused mentorship in developing leadership skills. The study's limited scope, dependence on self-reported measures, and specific statistical methods constrain the broader applicability of its findings. Future research should aim to validate these results across diverse settings and explore long-term outcomes.

Implications: This study provides new perspectives on NP workforce development, emphasizing the importance of structured mentorship and training, especially in medically underserved communities.

Abstract: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a complex life-limiting genetic condition that affects the respiratory, digestive, reproductive system, and sweat glands. Advances in treatment have led to improved survival and quality of life. Today, most persons with CF live to adulthood but require highly specialized care at accredited CF Care Centers. The growing and aging CF population combined with the provider workforce shortage have increased the demand for qualified CF providers. Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) have been providing CF care for decades, but most learned on the job. The Leadership and Education for Advanced Practice Provider (LEAPP) fellowship in CF care aims to address the provider gap, ease transition to practice, and ensure access to specialized care. Unlike other institutional based joint NP/PA fellowships, LEAPP was designed to train providers at various locations across the national CF care center network. The program is innovative in several ways: (1) LEAPP employs a flipped classroom that pairs an online curriculum with case-based virtual discussion with content experts from the CF care network; (2) fellows receive mentored clinical training at their home CF center; (3) LEAPP partnered with a university-based team to ensure best practices and evaluation for adult learners; and (4) LEAPP promotes organizational enculturation through program components of professional mentoring, quality improvement, and leadership. This innovative approach may be suitable for other complex conditions that require highly specialized care, such as sickle cell disease, spina bifida, and solid organ transplant.

Abstract: With artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly advancing, advanced practice nurses must understand and use it responsibly. Here, we describe an assignment in which Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students learned to use generative text AI. Using our program and course outcomes, developed from the 2021 American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials competency for DNP students to learn and use AI, we reviewed the literature seeking examples using ChatGPT for the DNP informatics course. No published examples existed to guide us toward infusing a ChatGPT assignment into the course. We developed a novel assignment that included a guide for students on how to use ChatGPT. Students were given time before the assignment to learn the AI/chatbot technology. They were then given the assignment and grading rubric. The assignment was to develop a tool for their current or future practice using ChatGPT. During the course faculty debrief, we learned that few students had questions and the assignment was clear. We also learned that students who sought to develop straightforward, uncomplicated patient tools succeeded with the technology. Those who sought to create something for complex patients had more challenges. Nursing education and practice will be influenced by the increasing prevalence of AI. This manuscript outlines an AI-based assignment for graduate nursing education intended for the students to become familiar with current AI and best practices for patient care. The assignment was well received by students. We plan to use it again in the next course offering.