Impact of Nurse Practitioner Role in Emergency Departments

Abstract

Background Overcrowding and long wait times in the emergency department (ED) have resulted in decreased patient satisfaction and quality of care. One of the solutions proposed to address wait times is the introduction of the nurse practitioner (NP) role in the ED. We present a systematic mixed studies review protocol that aims to gather and analyze available knowledge on the impact of the NP role in the ED on patients, other healthcare providers, and organizations. Methods The review will employ a mixed studies analysis approach. Data will be gathered from peer-reviewed and grey literature in English with no time limit. All international publications on the impact of NP role implementation that meets the inclusion criteria in the ED setting will be included. Each study will be appraised for quality using the mixed methods appraisal tool and data extracted by two independent authors. In the presence of conflict, a third author will provide a resolution. Study characteristics and findings will be synthesized using descriptive analysis, meta-analysis, and a three-stage thematic analysis approach. The review results will be presented using the PRISMA checklist for systematic reviews. Conclusions The systematic review will present current evidence on the impact of NP role implementation in the ED setting. The results are anticipated to support decisions and policymakers in their quest to decrease ED wait times and improve the quality of patient care in healthcare settings. Keywords: Nursing, Nurse Practitioner, Emergency Department, Patient Care, Systematic Review