Hands on Skills of NPCCs in Critical Care: Views from NPCCs, Healthcare Professionals and Other Stakeholders

Introduction: As demand for nurse practitioners in all types of intensive care units continues to increase; ensuring successful integration of these nurses into general and specialty intensive care units poses several challenges. Adding nurse practitioners in critical care requires strategic planning to define critical aspects of the care delivery model, acceptability and autonomy before the practitioners are hired or utilized. Autonomy can be achieved when NPs' ability to deliver care independently is encouraged, they are well accepted in critical care units by the health care professionals and other stakeholders and when NPCC perceive they are viewed and Treated by administrators as integral members of the care teams. Multiple quantitative studies revealed the attributes of NPs' practice autonomy and roles. However, researcher has not come across any study to assess the critical care skills performed by Nurse Practitioner in critical Care (NPCC) in India. Methodology: A quantitative descriptive research approach was used to conduct study among 35 NPCCs, 80 healthcare professionals (excluding physician) and 15 physicians through purposive sampling techniques. An expressed checklist was used to assess the critical care skills performed by NPCCs after taking formal permission from the competent authority. Results: Majority of the NPCCs (71%) had good critical care skills whereas (29%) had average critical care skills. None of the NPCCs had poor critical care skills views from NPCCs Out of 15 physicians, majority of the subject (87%) revealed that NPCCs had good critical care skills whereas (13%) had average critical care skills. None of the NPCCs had poor critical care skills. Majority of the health care professionals (excluding physicians) & other stakeholders (86%) said that NPCCs had good critical care skills, (14%) had average critical care skills. None of the NPCCs had poor critical care skills. Majority of the physicians refuse to participate in the research study, only 15 physicians participated from selected institute of the research. Out of the15 physicians accept the NPCCs but found the curriculum not appropriate as per the need of the NPCCs. Conclusion: Nurse practitioners need to become more visible to both the public and other health care professionals. Continuing to educate and expose the public and other health care professionals to nurse practitioners will influence perceptions which, in turn, may increase interest in learning more about the role and affect acceptance of the role and utilization of the nurse practitioner in critical care. The utilization of NPCCs continues to have much room for expansion, allowing NPs more autonomy and involvement in the care of critical care patients, it is important for physicians and other health care providers to be familiar with the capabilities of a NPCCs in order for them to be utilized to their maximum potential