Journal des pratiques avancées en soins infirmiers

Clarification of Emergency Department NP Role and Scope in Alberta: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Christie Brulhart*

Integrating Nurse Practitioners (NP) into Emergency Departments (ED) can be extremely challenging despite the benefits consistently documented in the literature. The purpose of this capstone project was to highlight the barriers preventing successful NP integration into EDs in order to develop an Alberta-specific communication tool that addresses these barriers. There were four recurrent themes identified in the literature. Firstly, confusion existed amongst staff, such as physicians and nurses, regarding the NP scope of practice and roles. Secondly, there is no emergency education program for NPs in Canada; therefore, the development of emergency-specific training relies on mentorship and on the job training. Thirdly, there is a lack of a uniform scope of practice. Lastly, variations exist between physician and NP pay structures. In response to these barriers, an infographic was designed as a reference for a physician that details the role, scope of practice, and education of NPs as well as the importance of physician’s support. This infographic is the first Alberta specific, evidenced-based communication tool that has been developed. The infographic is intended to be used in Alberta only, as scope of practice and regulations for NPs vary between provinces. Opportunities for future research include utilizing the Knowledge-to-Action framework to assess whether the infographic improves physician understanding of the NP role, and ultimately helps deter physician opposition.