Examining Nurse Consultant connectivity: An Australian mixed method study

How do nurse consultant job characteristics impact on job satisfaction? An Australian quantitative study

Background

There is a direct link between job satisfaction, nurses’ job performance and improved patient outcomes. Understanding what job characteristics influence job satisfaction is vital if health organizations are to optimize individual employee satisfaction and performance. This is particularly necessary in the Nurse Consultant role, which is a multifaceted role that has evolved to meet the dynamic and changing needs of health services. This study aims to examine how job characteristics influence Nurse Consultant job satisfaction and identify differences across metropolitan and rural contexts.

Methods

This paper presents quantitative findings that are part of a larger prospective cross sectional mixed method study. An online survey consisting of a variety of job characteristic factors was administered to all NCs working in a large Local Health District in New South Wales, Australia over an 8-week period in 2010. Descriptive analysis identified NC’s perceptions of job satisfaction and job characteristics in their current role and factor and regression analysis identified relationships between these factors.

Results

Job satisfaction was identified as high (mean 4.3) and is strongly correlated with job autonomy, role clarity, role conflict and job support. A high level of role clarity has a moderating effect on the relationship between job autonomy and job satisfaction.

Conclusions

Study findings inform how we prepare nurses for the NC role and how managers engage with and support NCs in their role taking into account context.

Understanding the factors that influence job satisfaction and role effectiveness gives managers valuable information to assist in positioning and supporting these roles to maximize effectiveness across integrated and contemporary models of health care delivery.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12912-017-0246-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

An Exploratory Study on Exemplary Practice of Nurse Consultants

PURPOSE

To examine the exemplary practice of nurse consultants (NCs) and derive a model to illustrate the highest level of advanced nursing practice.

DESIGN

A descriptive study was conducted to examine the practice and outcomes of seven NC roles in varied clinical specialties in Hong Kong. Exemplary practice was examined in relation to competencies for advanced practice nursing in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.

METHODS

Data about NC characteristics and their practices were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Health service documents and clinical notes were analyzed using the framework approach.

FINDINGS

All NCs demonstrated the competence expected of an advanced practice nurse with impacts on patients, nursing profession, and the organization as identified in the advanced nursing practice framework in Hong Kong. NCs also performed at the highest level of practice delineated by Skills for Health in the United Kingdom. They were involved in diagnostic and therapeutic practice, and identified patient satisfaction and symptom management as key outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides new insight into levels of advanced practice and illustrates the exemplary work of NCs to demonstrate how they have developed and shaped services to bring about positive patient and organizational outcomes. Career laddering that places NCs at the highest level of advanced practice is important for making the best use of nursing expertise to achieve optimal patient and organizational outcomes.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study addresses a knowledge gap to enrich our current understanding of the impact of advanced practice nursing roles by linking NC role practices and competencies to key outcomes.