A Mixed-Methods Sequential Explanatory Study of the Factors That Impact Nurses’ Perspectives toward Nurse Practitioners’ Roles in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Nurse practitioners’ roles need to be clearly defined in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, we aimed to explore potential factors that impact nurses’ perspectives toward nurse practitioners’ roles and whether they are interested in becoming nurse practitioners. A mixed-methods study design was employed using a questionnaire and focus groups. The survey was sent to nurses working at a public hospital in the Riyadh region. Participants (N = 77) reported that having more nurse practitioners would improve quality of care and patient safety. Additionally, most participants stated that an increased supply of nurse practitioners would have a positive impact on effectiveness, equity of care, and healthcare costs. In regression analysis, participants with favorable perspectives towards nurse practitioners were significantly more likely to have interest in becoming nurse practitioners (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]:1.04 [1.01–1.07]). In the qualitative domain, three positive factors were identified: effective collaboration with other staff, better contribution to quality care and patient safety, and better contribution to evidence-based practice. Two barriers were also determined: lack of motivation to become a nurse practitioner and unclear scope of practice. Results showed that nurse practitioners can provide quality healthcare services that meet patients’ different needs. The growing role of this speciality warrants further research to show its value in daily practice.

Perspectives of Executive Nurse Leaders on Advanced Practice Nursing in Saudi Arabia: Challenges to be Overcome and Opportunities to be Seized

“…Nevertheless, participants identifed several patientrelated, organizational, and professional positive impacts of APN in Saudi Arabia. Similar fndings were reported in recent studies in Saudi Arabia [25][26][27] and worldwide [28][29][30][31].…”

“…In addition, participants indicated that APN may face resistance from physicians, nurses, and patients, which was consistent with previous studies [34]. However, recent studies revealed that physicians [12] and nurses [26,27] in Saudi Arabia supported the implementation of APN. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have explored the patients' experiences with the care provided by APNs.…”

Role delineation of advanced practice nursing: A cross‐sectional study

“…There is a lack of consensus on the core competencies and delineation of APN roles and activities globally (Heale & Rieck Buckley, 2015). Similarly, in Saudi Arabia, there is confusion and ambiguity about the roles and practice patterns of nurses, including advanced practice nurses, and about the usage of the term APN (Hibbert et al, 2017; Kerari et al, 2023).…”