title: Who should do role outcome research on advanced practice nurses?
abstract: Who should perform role outcomes research of APNs? The short answer is "nurses". The published research examining the outcomes of APNs ranges from studies conducted autonomously by master's prepared CNSs and NPs for the purposes of intemal QI/QA to large funded studies conducted by multidisciplinary teams led by nurse researchers. Small studies are beneficial and are not to be discouraged; however, publication of such endeavors, particularly in journals of professions other than nursing, should be undertaken with caution. Frequently such studies are underpowered with a sample not large enough to detect the effect. Studies that seek significant funding are large in scope and frequently longitudinal, with the objective of generalizability across the profession and publication in multidisciplinary refereed research journals, and should be led by doctorally prepared nurse researchers. Other aspects of study design determine the makeup of the remainder of the research team. A multidisciplinary team is recommended for accuracy, breadth, depth, rigor, and scientific robustness.
authors.affiliation: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, Acute and Tertiary Care Department, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, PA 16261, USA. mhra@pitt.edu
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hravnak
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D009720:Nurse Clinicians; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015401:Nursing Administration Research / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012107:Research Design