Nurse-surgeons in the Australian public health system: A descriptive quantitative survey

Background

With over five billion people worldwide lacking access to surgery, innovative solutions are vital to address the global surgical crisis. Nurse-surgeons present a promising innovation. Considering their contribution worldwide and impact on surgical care in Australia, an exploration of these advanced practice nurses is timely.

Objective

To investigate the roles, training, education, and perceptions of career prospects and support received by practicing nurse-surgeons in the Australian public health system.

Design

Non-experimental descriptive national survey

Methods

The target population was nurse-surgeons practicing within the Australian public health system. The survey questionnaire comprised of four sections containing questions on nurse-surgeon demographics, roles, training, and perceptions of career prospects and support received. Data collection was conducted through emailing of public hospitals, crowdsourcing, and snowballing. Descriptive analysis was used to report the findings.

Results

Twenty-eight nurse-surgeons participated in the study, 22 females and six males. Most commonly, participants (n = 10) held master's degrees and trained to become nurse-surgeons for an average of 2·27 years (95 % CI [1·47,3·07]). Training programs varied but were all surgical specialty-specific, and usually included a practical component, theoretical component, and competency assessment prior to independent practice. Participants rated employment prospects for nurse-surgeons as poor to average due to limited work opportunities, politics, and strong pushbacks from Australian medical societies. The support received from nurses, surgeons and management was rated by participants as good providing reasons such as supportiveness, value recognition, jealousy, and resentment. The participants were very likely (95 % CI [7.436 – 9.364] to continue practicing due to positive job satisfaction but recommended the standardising of training and practice to ensure role futureproofing.

Conclusions

Nurse-surgeons have been practicing in Australia for decades, yet no standard training and credentialing pathway exist for them. This study identified the various roles, non-standard training, and perceptions of nurse-surgeons in the Australian public health system. The findings of this study will have an impact on policymakers and stakeholders to develop standard national credentialing pathway for nurse-surgeons in Australia to enhance clinical practices and ensure a consistent framework for recognition and development of these advanced practice nurses.