The role of the advanced practice nurse in neuroscience nursing: results of the 2006 AANN membership survey.

Abstract: The need for a scope of practice for advanced practice neuroscience nurses was identified by the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) in 2006. A task force consisting of advanced practice nurses (nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists) was commissioned by AANN and charged with the development of the document. Current information regarding the practices of advanced practice neuroscience nurses was needed as the task force began to develop this document. To best obtain this information, an electronic survey was created and distributed to advanced practice nurses within the AANN database. The survey questions included basic demographic data and sought information regarding activities and procedures performed by the advanced practice nurse. The results of this survey clearly reflect the diversity in practice and the integral role advanced practice neuroscience nurses play in the management of patients' care.

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In 2006, the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) commissioned a task force to develop a scope of practice (SOP) document for advanced practice nurses (APNs) in neuroscience nursing. The task force comprised six members who represented diverse practice settings and geographic regions. The task force included three nurse practitioners (NPs) and three clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) whose practice settings encompassed both the inpatient and outpatient arenas. As the members began to discuss how best to proceed with the development of the document, it became clear that information regarding the current practices of neuroscience APNs was needed. This need for information led to the development of the 2006 AANN Membership Survey, results of which are described in the following sections. Information obtained from the survey will be used as a guide in the development of the SOP document.

Methodology

The target participants were AANN members who had indicated in the membership database that their primary job function was either as an NP or CNS. The task force decided to use an electronic survey method provided by Zoomerang[TM], an electronic survey company. This format had been used previously by AANN, and the membership was familiar with and knowledgeable regarding its use. The survey was developed using tasks compiled from a review of literature as well as input from experienced APNs (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2002, 2004; Bell, 2006; Yeager, Shaw, Casavant, & Burns, 2006). An open-ended question was included to identify any other procedures or activities not included in the listing to better capture the full scope of practice. Task force members reviewed the compiled survey questions and made necessary revisions to ensure content reliability. No previous survey of its kind was available for comparison.