ARNP Case Managers: Benefits for Patient Care and LOS

Introduction

A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse educated and certified to operate autonomously and collaboratively in an advanced and comprehensive medical capacity. The practitioner fulfills several additional roles, including conducting diagnostic investigations, prescribing medications, and making referrals to specialist clinical services. Research suggests that when nurses undertake prescription roles, the result can be increased efficiency, maximization of resources, improved patient access to medicines, and the ability to provide timely and extensive care packages (Cashin, Buckley, Newman & Dunn, 2009). In the advanced practice context, recognized roles include the Clinical Nurse Specialist, the Certified Nurse Midwife, the Nurse Anesthetist, and the Nurse Practitioner.

An Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) is also a registered nurse who possesses a professional knowledge base, complex decision-making skills, and clinical capabilities suited to extensive practice — attributes shaped by the context or country in which they hold credentials to work. ARNPs have completed education to the master's or doctoral level, providing them with the experience that may contribute to the provision of improved quality care. In addition, ARNPs can assume responsibilities traditionally attributed to physicians, including clinical assessment, diagnosis, and subsequent treatment. Some of the expanded roles in healthcare include initiatives that nurses lead, as well as roles that arise from the dynamic and evolving nature of nursing practice.

Leadership is among the extended nursing roles that hospitals can offer ARNPs. In relation to various nursing practice objectives — such as improving the quality of services — nurses who become managers can efficiently help realize those goals, primarily because of the skills they have gained as direct-care nurses. Becoming leaders allows them to play an important role in shaping the nursing profession to be more responsive. ARNPs serving as case managers will facilitate, enhance, and support the integration of nursing roles within organizations. Furthermore, ARNPs who become case managers already understand the challenges related to role allocation, managing relationships in nursing practice, and the difficulties nurses face in their day-to-day work (Carter et al., 2010). The primary aim of this paper is to identify the importance of hiring ARNPs as case managers in relation to length of stay (LOS), improved care, improved patient satisfaction, and other outcomes reflected in the research questions below.

ARNPs have completed university education to the master's or doctoral level. These professionals possess an exceptional knowledge base, strong decision-making proficiencies, and the clinical competence required for extended practice. They also have experience managing the numerous activities that take place in a hospital setting. Despite this, most hospitals find it difficult to hire ARNPs as ARNP Case Managers.

Statement of the Problem

Numerous studies demonstrate that the practitioner's efforts play a significant role in improved quality of care, reduced LOS, increased morning discharges, improved staff and patient satisfaction, and active participation in the discharge planning process. Nevertheless, these activities — which nurses already carry out within their current roles — would occur more efficiently if the nurse held a case manager position with the authority to implement change. Therefore, this proposal's primary objective is to show that hiring ARNPs as case managers will lead to positive change in nursing activities and patient outcomes.

The following research questions serve as a guideline for this proposal and provide a framework for subsequent study. This proposal aims to reveal the significance of hiring Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners as ARNP Case Managers by examining whether using an ARNP as a case manager will:

Research Questions

Nurses spend most of their time with patients — taking vital signs, administering care, and performing many other nursing activities — and play an important role in patient recovery. When nurses identify and respond to the emotional needs of their patients, they assist them in recovering and improve overall care quality. Nurses also spend considerable time with colleagues, which exposes them to the interpersonal dynamics that can affect working relationships. Nurse managers, by contrast, tend to work more independently, spending most of their time in administrative settings. Given this distinction, it is evident that hiring ARNPs as case managers — professionals who have already experienced the frontline — will lead to positive organizational changes.