title: Enhancing psychiatric nursing practice: role of an advanced practice nurse.
abstract: In response to demands for alternative health models that deliver cost-effective quality care, one large Midwestern medical center implemented a change in their nursing practice model. The change involved the introduction of unit-based nursing leadership teams that included advanced practice nurses (APNs). This article reports the findings from an investigation that employed a case study design to evaluate the process and outcomes of integrating an APN on a psychiatric unit with experienced nurses. Data collection methods included a nursing survey (n = 34), interviews with nine randomly selected nurses, and two multidisciplinary open forums. Consistent with the staff nurses' survey ratings of important advanced practice role functions, responses from the nursing interviews and open forums suggested nurses' professional development to be the most positive outcome. Role confusion was identified as a negative outcome. Recommendations for improved integration and use of APNs in today's psychiatric health environments were identified.
authors.affiliation: Winona State University, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sandvik
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sikkink
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stears
mesh_terms: D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007587:Job Description; D009720:Nurse Clinicians / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*