The Nurse Practitioner Role in Oncology: Advancing Patient Care.
To explore and describe the characteristics of the nurse practitioner (NP) role in cancer care in a Canadian province, identify the ways in which NPs add value to cancer care, and suggest ways in which organizations can better support the NP role. .



Exploratory, qualitative design. .



Three cancer care facilities in a western Canadian province. .



12 NPs in cancer care, 12 physicians working with NPs, and 5 administrators responsible for implementing the role. .



Interpretive description, a qualitative method aimed at systematically exploring and analyzing a topic and applying the findings back into practice. .



Each group had a different perspective on the role and its value. Physicians regarded these high-level practitioners as "help" within their own practices. Administrators tended to use NPs to manage patient workload within the traditional physician-focused system, but they could see value in NP-led innovation. The NPs themselves envisioned a nontraditional, holistic, patient-centered approach to care that challenged the interventionist focus of the medical model. Suggestions for enhancing the potential of the role were offered by all groups.  .



Lack of clarity about the NP role persists. Traditional professional hierarchies and expectations about care delivery continue to affect role implementation. .



Nursing leaders must be proactive about NP role implementation to maximize its potential. Additional research is needed about the outcomes of the role and the process of implementation.
University of Alberta.
Sarah
S
Stahlke Wall
Alberta Health Services-CancerControl.
Krista
K
Rawson
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006270:Health Facility Administrators / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing*; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards*; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*
cancer care; healthcare reform; holistic care; nurse practitioners