Challenges and leadership strategies for managers of nurse practitioners

Abstract

For managers to be most effective, they need to address three challenges that are of a managerial, not clinical, nature. By implementing specific leadership strategies, managers of nurse practitioners can facilitate the introduction of the new role and improve its sustainability in health organizations.

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants in Dutch hospitals: their role, extent of substitution and facilitators and barriers experienced in the reallocation of tasks

“…Addressing such questions in advance can reduce the barriers experienced by NPs and PAs. Challenges for managers comprise clarifying the reallocation of tasks, managing shifting working relationships in the team and continuing to manage the team in an evolving situation (Reay et al 2003). …”

Integrating nurse practitioners into Canadian emergency departments: a qualitative study of barriers and recommendations

“…[2][3][4] Although these patients are not the primary cause of ED overcrowding, there are longer waiting times and possibly a reduced quality of care for these patients. 5,6 To accommodate more patients, nurse practitioners (NPs) in the United States 7 and, more recently in the United Kingdom, Australia 8,9 and Canada have begun to manage patients who present to EDs with non-urgent and primary health care needs. 10 Introducing NPs into an ED affects the physicians, nursing staff and other health professionals.…”

Carving out a place: Establishing a new nurse practitioner practice in rural and remote Canada.

“…They are on their own as they develop protocols and negotiate care provision issues with physicians. This study is consistent with prior research that identified adding the NP role into an existing physician practice takes time and trust as well as the support from management in delineating the roles of the new health care team (Reay, Golden-Biddle, & Germann, 2003;Reay et al, 2006). This study also highlights that when physicians and NPs do not report to the same administration, challenges can arise for the NP in negotiating directly with the physicians on practice issues and development of policy.…”