Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/748278
IN THE MIDST OF A PROVIDER SHORTAGE, NURSE PR ACTITIONERS œNPSž PL AY AN INCRE A SINGLY VITAL ROLE IN HE ALTH CARE. NE W QUALITATIVE RESE ARCH HIGHLIGHTS NPS' IMPORTANCE IN CONNECTING WITH PATIENTS AND ENHANCING COMMUNICATION. KELLEY KILPATRICK, PhD, Assistant Professor on the Faculty of Nursing, Research Center, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montreal, led a team that investigated the impact NPs had on patients receiving care in four areas: cardiology, neonatal care, nephrology and primary care. "There was a lot of pretty consistent literature about nurse practitioner roles and patients and families being satisfi ed with the care, but one question we had was trying to fi gure out what was making them satisfi ed in that exchange," Kilpatrick says. "It really was important because if you look at it from a quality improvement perspective, we knew from previous research that di– erent structures or themes within the healthcare team and certain organizations would improve e– ectiveness." THE STUDY Kilpatrick and her colleagues interviewed groups of patients and their families to gather data. "Across the board, what patients and families were saying was [healthcare] teams themselves were more e– ective once nurse practitioners had been introduced to the teams ...," she says. "Care itself was much more comprehensive, ... and very often it gave patients easier access to a provider who actually knew them." Patients cited better communication in particular. "They were all saying that communication was important — having a human approach, not feeling rushed when interacting with nurse practitioners," Kilpatrick says. "There was openness in that relationship — they didn't have to be concerned about saying something that person didn't want to hear." THE TAKEAWAY The results of the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing, indicate the importance that partnering with patients plays in hea lthcare deliver y. NPs are a crucia l factor in the equation because of their training and experience working to improve outcomes through practices such as helping patients implement sustainable lifestyle habits. The priority on fostering close connections with patients is a signifi cant part of the va lue the United States' more than 200,000 NPs bring to hea lth ca re, says Cindy Cooke, DNP, F N P - C , FA A N P, w i t h t h e A m e r i c a n A s s o c i a t i o n o f Nurse Practitioners. "In many areas, NPs are able to spend more time with patients," Cooke says. "This enables NPs to establish relationships with patients, learn their stories and engage in their lives." ■ " It takes a whole team to provide smooth and effective care. Oftentimes, nurse practitioners can be the go-between for patients and other members of the healthcare team due to their in-depth knowledge about the patient and comfort communicating with patients." YASMINE KEY, DNP, APN, NP‚C, NURSE PRACTITIONER IN CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE DRILLING DOWN on the Pivotal Role of Nurse Practitioners BY K ATY MENA‚BERKLEY 2 3 M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S S O U T H C E N T R A L P E N N S Y LVA N I A ■ 2 016 P R A C T I C E M A N A G E M E N T ❰❰❰❰❰ 2 3