Potential scope and impact of a transboundary model of nurse practitioners in aged care

Aged care is a growing issue in Australia and other countries. There are significant barriers to meeting the health needs of this population. Current services have gaps between care and lack communication and integration between care providers. Research was conducted in the Australian Capital Territory to investigate the potential role of the aged care nurse practitioner in health service delivery in aged care settings. A multimethod case study design was utilised, with three student nurse practitioners (SNP) providing care to aged care clients across three sectors of health service delivery (residential aged care facilities, general medical practices and acute care). Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews and journal entries of the SNP, as well as focus groups and surveys of multidisciplinary staff and patients over the age of 65 years in the settings frequented by the SNP. The aged care SNP were found to cross professional and organisational boundaries, cross intra- as well as interorganisational boundaries and to contribute to more seamless patient care as members of a multidisciplinary aged care team. The aged care nurse practitioner role consequently has the potential to function in a networked rather than a hierarchical manner, and this could be a key element in addressing gaps in care across care locales and between disciplines.