title: Nurse and allied health professional consultants: perceptions and experiences of the role.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the perceptions and experiences of nurse and allied health professional consultants and key stakeholders.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Nurse and allied health professional consultants' roles were introduced in the United Kingdom in 1999 with defined role criteria and a remit to improve patient outcomes. Although these roles have now existed for over a decade, there is a lack of research as to whether these roles have achieved their intended impact on clinical care. Through an exploration of the experiences of consultant nurses and allied health professionals and key stakeholders who work with these practitioners, a greater understanding of the consultant role can be achieved.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative.
  
  
  METHODS
  A purposive sample of seven non-medical consultants (five nurses, one physiotherapist and a pharmacist) and eight stakeholders took part in focus group interviews. Each focus group was audio-taped and lasted between 1.5-2 hours. Content analysis was used to interpret the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four main themes were identified: (1) Role interpretation--core features include clinical practice, leadership, education and research. Debate surrounded the need to incorporate managerial responsibilities into the role. (2) Role implementation required political skills and emotional intelligence. (3) Role impact especially on clinical practice was a major priority for both groups. (4) Challenges included lack of organisational and administrative support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was consensus amongst the two groups regarding the value of the role, key role functions and skills and the emerging impact on clinical practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both groups were able to identify the clinical impact of the role including helping patients manage chronic pain, reducing the need for follow-up appointments and managing emergency admissions. To capture the clinical diversity of the roles, a variety of evaluation strategies should be implemented.
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Rehabilitation, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK. kay.stevenson@uhns.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masterson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003253:Consultants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*