일 종합전문병원에서의 전문간호사 역할 및 운영방안 개발

Development of Roles and Organizational Policy of Advanced Practice Nurses in an Acute Hospital Setting

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop roles and organizational policy of advanced practice nurses (APNs) in an acute hospital setting. Method: The design of the study was to descriptive-exploratory. Sample consisted of 43 participants who included 13 nurses, 18 nurse managers and 12 physicians. Survey, interview and focus group interview were performed to obtain the data. Results: The expected roles of APNs were education and counseling, direct management patient care with advanced skills, research, and collaboration and coordination among several departments. The expected outcomes were patient satisfaction, improved access to care, decreased the rate of complications, and speedy provision of services. Based on research, a proposal of APNs roles and organizational policy in a hospital setting was developed, which included definition of APNs, qualification, roles and specific roles, specialty areas, accountability, recruitment and affiliation, privileges, and expected outcomes. Conclusion: This study gives a guideline on how to introduce and use APNs in acute care tertiary settings.