Identifying Practice Barriers to Use of Adult Gerontology-Acute Care Nurse Practitioners in the Northern Nevada Region

Abstract

The number of adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioners is increasing, as well as the number of patients requiring care in the northern Nevada region. The specialty training of adult gerontology nurse practitioners (AGACNPs) enables them to provide care for the increasing number of patients in the acute setting. Unfortunately, there are perceived barriers that inhibit the implementation of AGACNP into practice within this region. There is a need to understand the barriers to use of AGACNPs and provide feedback to organizational leaders throughout the region. Purpose and Objective: While many studies show the benefits of adding AGACNPs or nurse practitioners in general to an organization, there is a need for further literature on the evidence of the barriers to AGACNP use. This study attempts to identify those barriers, specifically looking into the northern Nevada region. Methods: A survey was sent out to 19 hospital and critical care group administrators in the northern Nevada region. There was an attempt made for phone interviews, if the survey was not completed during the allotted timeframe. The survey consisted of both quantitative and qualitative questions that were used to identify potential barriers influencing AGACNP role use. Results: Out of the 19 surveys sent out, six surveys were returned. A total of six surveys from six different organizations were completed for this study. Five of the six respondents do not currently have any AGACNPs within their organizations and the one that did use AGACNPs had less than 10. Four out of six respondents reported confusion on scope of practice as a current barrier to use within their organization. Conclusions: This survey helps AGACNPs understand the barriers to use within the northern Nevada region when looking for an acute care job. For the organizations in the northern Nevada region, there is a need for organizational education regarding the scope of practice of AGACNPs and how to utilize them within their organization, as well as create an effective collaborative practice model for their acute care organization.