title: The advance nurse practitioner in critical care: a workload evaluation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Critical Care role was developed to support the critical care team by undertaking specific roles traditionally associated with medical staff in the intensive care unit and high dependency unit. The rationale for the evaluation was to establish the specific tasks undertaken and scope of workload of these newly created posts.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To report on an evaluation of the specific activities, workload and patterns of prescribing of advanced nursing practice posts within a critical care settings
  
  
  METHODS
  A data collection form was designed to capture clinically and patient-related activities of these post-holders. Data from 1 week were recorded on one post-holder and subsequently analysed. During the evaluation the nurse practitioners worked with the consultant anaesthetist. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analysed using descriptive statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intensive care and high dependency unit ward round attributed to 46% of the nurse practitioners weekly activity and mainly consisted of patient assessments and prescribing. The rest of the time was mainly split between documentation and unsupervised patient assessments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The nurse practitioners contributed to the majority of interventions traditionally performed by anaesthetic trainees. Independent patient assessment was highlighted as a significant part of that workload (12%). The evaluation also highlighted the broad nature required of nurse practitioner prescribing and thus reinforced the strategic decision not to introduce a restricted formulary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Advanced nurse practitioners in critical care effectively carried out the traditional medical tasks in which they were trained. As already experienced nurses with new enhanced skills they successfully contributed to and enhanced the delivery of care to the critically ill.
authors.affiliation: PG Certificate Advanced Practice, Advanced Nurse Practitioner Critical Care, Monklands Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carberry
mesh_terms: D057179:Advanced Practice Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D024802:Nurse's Role; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload
keywords: Advanced nursing roles; Developing/evaluating nursing roles; Evaluation studies; Intensive care nurses; New roles in practice