Expansion of the ARPNet: Addition of YSN Faculty to Study YSN Faculty Practice Patterns
The APRNet was established in 2000 at YSN as the first network for advanced practice nurses in the country. Since that time, the network has solicited approximately 60 nurse practitioners from around Southern New England and utilizing a survey form has gathered data about the advanced practice nurses (APRNs), their practices and their patients. The purpose of this proposal is to further expand the APRNet by including the Yale School of Nursing (YSN) faculty and their clinical practice sites in the practice network in order to systematically gather data about the YSN faculty's practice patterns. This is especially important since there has never been any attempt to systematically collect data about YSN faculty's clinical practice, their practice sites and the patients that are seen in those sites. In addition, this project will also include faculty who practice as clinical nurse specialists and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner faculty.
This project fits well with the many objectives of Healthy People 2010 (SDHHS, 2000), the Put Prevention into Practice Initiative (USPHS, 1994) and with the need for outcomes research identified by the National Institute for Nursing Research (NCNR, 1992). It is also of significance to nursing because nursing is a practice discipline and practice is the foundation of the discipline of nursing. For advanced practice nurses, practice takes on additional importance as it is essential for certification and it defines who APRNs are as practitioners, faculty and providers. It is the joy and essence of their professional beings. For APRNs who teach it is a "must" to maintain competency and stay on the "cutting edge." Faculty also serve as preceptors and model the role of advanced practitioner to the advanced practice student.
This project will enroll members of the YSN faculty who are practicing clinically as part of their faculty responsibilities. They will be given training on how to use the PRINS_3A &3B surveys. The descriptive data that is gathered from these surveys will be analyzed and compared with previous data that has been collected from APRNet members. These data will also be available for YSN faculty to query for their own purposes. This project will also raise other research questions that the APRNet can be utilized to answer. It is hoped that this project is just the beginning of a trajectory of research of faculty practice patterns.
Funded by the Beatrice Renfield-Yale School of Nursing Clinical Research Initiatives Fund
