Nurses Perception of Advance Nurse Practitioners Roles in Public Hospitals: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Aim: To explore the nurses' perceptions about the advanced nurses' practi-tioner's role in public hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Background: Advanced nurse practitioners are one of the leading professionals who contribute to health promotion, disease prevention, health counseling and patient education. However, misunderstandings of their roles may have an impact on the performances of the function that limits their access and the use of significant resources that can help patients to obtain treatment. Methods: This is a qualitative exploratory study conducted on nurses working in three public hospitals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among fourteen nurses between October-January 2020. The three public hospitals were based in Eastern (1) and Central (2) Saudi Arabia regions. Data analysis was conducted through thematic analysis utilizing inductive and deductive coding. Results: The study found that the role of Advanced Practice Nurses will enhance , motivate, and sustain the status of nurses in Saudi Arabia. Findings indicated that advanced practitioners' educational preparedness, organizational , and contextual factors are important factors that need to be addressed to promote their role and to improve nurse's perception about the APN role in clinical practice. Conclusion: This research provided new evidence to support the need to raise understanding of the role of advanced nurse practitioners among nurse members, advanced nurses and clinical nurse specialists who wish to enhance quality healthcare delivery and job satisfaction in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Recognizing the factors that comprise the function and status of APNs will assist health-care officials to make informed decisions when designing a national policy and a plan for the implementation and the development of the role of APNs. How to cite this paper: Banaser, M.,