Evaluation of advanced nurse practitioner

Primary care

Aim(s):

  1. Identify stakeholders’ experiences of the introduction, implementation and evaluation of existing and new ANP roles funded by the PCTR projects in Scotland.
  2. Examine the impacts of ANP roles and how these are measured, in relation to the anticipated outcomes.
  3. Explore, from different key stakeholders’ perspectives, the barriers and facilitators to the introduction, implementation and evaluation of ANP roles across different primary care contexts.
  4. Examine the transferability of the results of the evaluation, based on our understandings about what works for whom, in what circumstances and contexts, for different types of current and emerging ANP roles across Primary Care in NHS Scotland.

Summary:

The evaluation of the implementation of Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) roles is one of the six case studies chosen by the Scottish Government, as part of the Scottish School of Primary Care’s evaluation of new models of delivering primary care services that are being trialed across Scotland with support from the Primary Care Transformation Fund (PCTF). 

Our evaluation seeks to understand the nature of ANP roles in Scotland, the new models of primary care that they support and their intended impact on the: service user, organisation, team and ANPs themselves.  We will assess the mechanisms and contextual factors that impact on the delivery and outcomes associated with the implementation of ANP roles, therefore seeking not only to answer what the new service is (ANP roles in Primary Care) but also to answer the question of why the service works, for whom and in what circumstance.  Methods include a systematic review of ANP roles, and in-depth case studies involving key informants in a range of Health Boards across Scotland.

Outcomes/Impact:

The results of this evaluation will inform future new models of delivering primary care services and the long-term sustainability of these roles.  A close working relationship with the current strategic initiative ‘Transforming Nursing roles’, which aims to ensure a consistent approach to developing Advanced Practitioners in all specialities across Scotland, will ensure that learning can be maximized across both initiatives. 

Principal Investigator: Professor Mary Wells

Funder: Scottish School for Primary Care