Nurse-led clinical activity in kidney transplantation care in Spain: A cross-sectional observational study

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the presence of specialist outpatient nursing activity in care for kidney transplant recipients in Spain and to determine the level of competence development of this activity according to the Advanced Practice Nurse model. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Participants and Measurements: All outpatient nurses specialising in renal transplantation in the 39 transplant hospitals in Spain were included. To fulfil the study objectives, an ad hoc questionnaire and the ‘Advanced Practice Nurse Role Definition Instrument (IDREPA)’ were administered to assess the nurses' level of competence development. Results: Of the facilities included in the study, 25 (64.1%) had posttransplant nursing activity, 13 (33.3%) had pretransplant nursing activity and 11 (28.2%) had nursing activity involving kidney donor candidates. Twenty-seven specialist nurse's offices were identified. The results of the IDREPA reflect the presence of advanced practice in the domains of ‘expert care planning’ and ‘comprehensive care’. Three (11.1%) nurses met all criteria for advanced nursing practice. Conclusion: The results on specialised outpatient nursing activity at the 39 transplantation facilities in Spain indicate a low presence of this type of activity, with an even lower presence of advanced practice nurses. Implications for Clinical Practice: Management teams should consider investing in the quality of care provided by advanced nurse practice to ensure that suitable treatment is provided and better clinical outcomes are obtained.