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BACKGROUND: Waiting time for kidney transplants (KT) is an important health determinant for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). During this time, ongoing evaluation and participation is necessary in order to guarantee the quality and suitability of the proposed treatment. There is no existing literature on the potential impact of inclusion of an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) role in the hospital setting on care for CKD patients who are candidates for KT. The main objectives of this protocol are: to analyse outpatient nursing activity in the care of individuals with KT in Spain; to identify the needs of individuals who are KT candidates; and to measure the impact of the APN role through patient outcomes and experiences. These objectives are fulfilled through 5 specific related substudies. METHODS: A convergent parallel mixed methods approach will be conducted between July 2021 and April 2024. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected and analysed separately to ascertain whether the findings confirm or contradict one another. Each of the 5 substudies of the project require a specific design, sampling method, and data collection procedure in order to meet the overall objectives for the project. DISCUSSION: The results of the project are expected to inform the design of future nursing roles and contribute to future improvements in the quality of care provided. The data that may be obtained from this protocol are limited to the specific context of the study facility and may be extrapolated but not compared to other settings due to the variability of care pathways for KT candidates internationally. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This project was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee (no.2020/9418/I). The study was supported by the "Strategic Plan for Health Research and Innovation" from the Generalitat de Catalunya, registration number SLT017/20/000001, with a contribution of 57,239 euros.
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OBJECTIVE: To identify the competency profile of advanced practice nurses involved in the care process of cancer patients. METHODS: Cross-sectional and descriptive study. The study included all nurses involved in the cancer patient care process in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona. Competence profile data were collected using the instrument for defining the role of the advanced practice nurse (APRD), as well as sociodemographic and occupational variables. Sociodemographic and occupational data were compared against the performance of advanced practice activities. RESULTS: A total of 29 (82.9%) nurses participated with a mean age of 42.6±12.54 years. 9 (31%) nurses were identified as meeting the standard in all 6 domains on the APRD scale to be considered advanced practice nurses. Of these 9 (31%) nurses, 7 (24.1%) met the training standards required by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) with an official master's degree and 2 (6.9%) with a PhD. CONCLUSIONS: There are nurses who carry out their activity in the oncology field of the hospital analyzed with the EPA profile. The identification of advanced practice nurses (APNs) in our health system is essential to be able to recognize the competencies of these professionals and create specific positions that help to address chronicity, patients' quality of life, their survival, and the optimization of health resources. Our study highlights the importance of chronicity and cancer as areas for the development of the APNs.
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OBJECTIVES: To explore the presence of specialist outpatient nursing activity in care for kidney transplant recipients in Spain and to determine the level of competence development of this activity according to the Advanced Practice Nurse model. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS: All outpatient nurses specialising in renal transplantation in the 39 transplant hospitals in Spain were included. To fulfil the study objectives, an ad hoc questionnaire and the 'Advanced Practice Nurse Role Definition Instrument (IDREPA)' were administered to assess the nurses' level of competence development. RESULTS: Of the facilities included in the study, 25 (64.1%) had posttransplant nursing activity, 13 (33.3%) had pretransplant nursing activity and 11 (28.2%) had nursing activity involving kidney donor candidates. Twenty-seven specialist nurse's offices were identified. The results of the IDREPA reflect the presence of advanced practice in the domains of 'expert care planning' and 'comprehensive care'. Three (11.1%) nurses met all criteria for advanced nursing practice. CONCLUSION: The results on specialised outpatient nursing activity at the 39 transplantation facilities in Spain indicate a low presence of this type of activity, with an even lower presence of advanced practice nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: Management teams should consider investing in the quality of care provided by advanced nurse practice to ensure that suitable treatment is provided and better clinical outcomes are obtained.