title: Trauma nurse practitioners--baptism by fire! Variations in role orientation.
abstract: Multifactorial changes within healthcare systems across the United States and beyond have forced hospitals to reevaluate the ways in which resources are used. With recent restrictions on resident work hours, the nurse practitioner has emerged as a front-line player in healthcare. This change, however, has brought with it more advanced therapies, treatments, and interventions which the nurse practitioner now practices more independently. As a result, the role of the trauma nurse practitioner emerged over the past few years to assist in meeting the complex demands of trauma programs. To date, little information on the demographic data and the background of these professionals has been published, nor has there been much discussion related to the orientation process for this innovative role. The data described in this article identify commonalities and differences in the trauma nurse practitioner's professional experience. This information will be used to collectively propose formal recommendations for more structure and organization of the future trauma nurse practitioners' orientation to this unique and valuable role.
authors.affiliation: Trauma Services Department, Children's Medical Center, 1935 Motor Street, Dallas, TX 75235, USA. howard.mckay@childrens.com
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mckay
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002568:Certification; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate; D006123:Group Practice / Q000458:organization & administration; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009820:Ohio; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D019555:Physician-Nurse Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014194:Traumatology / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration