Impact of the advanced nurse practitioner role on frail elderly care.

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    What impact has the advanced nurse practitioner had on frail older patient outcomes in the acute secondary care setting in comparison to traditional service delivery?

  • IRAS ID

    167180

  • Contact name

    Jayne Cutter

  • Contact email

    j.cutter@swansea.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    ABMU - HB

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 5 months, 6 days

  • Research summary

    The research aims to focus on an Advanced Nurse Practitioner led early assessment service which has been developed within a District general Hospital Clinical decision Unit as a means of supporting specialist input for the frail older patients at the earliest point in their admission. The service was an Advanced Nurse Practitioner initiative in response to the increasing number of admissions of older frailer patients being admitted into hospital. Research suggests that engagement with frail older patients who present with multi-faceted, complex needs have improved functional outcomes, reduced length of stay and reduced readmission rates when patients are identified and managed by specialist teams at the earliest point in their admission (Harari,2007). Similar services have been developed across the United Kingdom. The key difference being that they are all led by a Medical Consultant (Harari,2007; Adams, 2002).

    The research has two main aims:

    1. Provide a review of the quality of service provided to the frail older patient admitted to secondary care service.

    2. Evaluate the impact of an Advanced Nurse Practitioner led early engagement service compared to the traditional secondary care service.

    quality of service provided to the frail older patient will be measured in relation to the following patient outcomes: length of stay, re-admission rates of 28 days and less, mortality, discharge destination, functional outcomes and effects on patient condition.

  • REC name

    Wales REC 6

  • REC reference

    15/WA/0179

  • Date of REC Opinion

    26 May 2015

  • REC opinion

    Unfavourable Opinion