Edinburgh Napier University

  Following international trends, increasing adoption of Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) have occurred in the United Kingdom (UK) in the face of economic drives towards cost-effectiveness and changes to the regulation of workforce such as junior doctors. However, a range of titles exists and these remain unregulated in the UK. Within a palliative care context, the challenges facing healthcare contexts are well known including elderly population demographics, rising incidences of complex and co-morbid conditions with increasing demands and complex service needs. There is limited research evidence exploring the role of the Advanced Nurse Practitioner in a palliative care context. Two ANPs were recently introduced to an integrated specialist palliative care service in NHS Tayside. A qualitative study evaluating these innovative roles in the palliative care context was conducted. Qualitative methods were used spanning three phases of data collection amongst key stakeholders in order to capture the contribution and emerging role of the ANPs. Overall themes indicated that the role was valued by patients and multi-disciplinary staff members. The ANPs contributed a unique person-centred and holistic approach to palliative and end-of-life care which incorporated advanced nursing practice skills as well as general nursing duties and which transcended traditional disciplinary boundaries.