Assistant Practitioner Role Research Articles

Exploring assistant practitioners' views of their role and training.

To examine the views of assistant practitioners and trainee assistant practitioners regarding experiences of practice in relation to the autonomy of the role and level of supervision, the training involved and support experienced in undertaking the foundation degree, and the effects of the assistant practitioner role in the workplace. A service evaluation was undertaken in which a small cross-sectional quantitative survey was distributed to trainee assistant practitioners undertaking the foundation degree, and assistant practitioners who had previously completed the foundation degree or who had qualified via another route. A total of 93 questionnaires were returned. The data indicate that there is some uncertainty surrounding the skills and competence of those undertaking the foundation degree, and a lack of opportunity for career progression for unregistered staff. Increased understanding of the scope and role of assistant practitioners and the academic requirements of the foundation degree is required to increase assistant practitioner numbers.

Skill mix: Using the assistant practitioner to drive efficiency

This article outlines the development of the assistant practitioner role within a primary care setting and the experiences of 5 trainee assistant practitioners undertaking a foundation degree in health and social care delivered by the University of Bolton. The article will examine the changes in staff skill mix within general practice, and how the assistant practitioner role aims to contribute to the efficacy of services, improve patient access, and continuity of care. Furthermore, it will explore how it is offering career progression for healthcare assistants, in line with the Skills for Health (2015) skills escalator. A focus group methodology was used to gather the views of the trainee assistant practitioners at the end of their university programme and about to enter their new role. They were asked to reflect on the benefits of their learning and competency development, considering how their role has changed and will change in the future.

P175 The impact of introducing an assistant practitioner to the health advisor team in a busy urban sexual health service:

Background The role of Assistant Practitioner (AP) in the Health Advisor (HA) team is new and has not previously been described. It is unusual in that someone who has not had formal nursing or medical training is able to supply medicines to a patient. Our service set about developing this Agenda for Change band 4 role, with Drug and Therapeutic Committee approval, to support the clinical team. Aim To evaluate the new role now that training is complete. Methods List the tasks undertaken by HA and compare with those now undertaken by the AP. Results Discussion The AP has proved to be a valuable additional role within our service. Rigorous training and robust protocols had to be developed but this now allows her to operate independently. Despite initial reservations about replacing a HA post with an AP of a lower band our clinical team are now supportive of this role and recognise that this delegation of tasks allows time to focus on more complex cases.

The status of assistant practitioners in the NHS

This article documents the findings of a stakeholder consultation to explore the perceptions of senior managers on the impact of the assistant practitioner role, scope for further implementation, and to determine the perceived barriers to assistant practitioner use in the workforce. Interviews with directors of nursing or their nominated alternates were undertaken in sixteen provider organisations in two counties in England. Five main themes were identified: identifying and locating the assistant practitioner; implementation of the assistant practitioner role, challenges to implementing the role, education and training, regulation and registration. Organisations whose leaders are committed to implementing the assistant practitioner role and have expertise in leading change will have most success with the implementation and impact of the assistant practitioner role on service delivery. Implications for nursing management: The introduction of the assistant practitioner role within the workforce needs to be undertaken by an organisational wide implementation strategy where the potential contribution of the assistant practitioner within the workforce is clearly identified and valued.

Assistant Practitioners in the NHS in England

Skills for Health (SfH) commissioned research to examine the use of Assistant Practitioners in the NHS in England and explore the benefits of their use, the barriers to their further implementation and identify ways in which SfH can support their further introduction. The research consisted of: a literature review looking at existing evidence around development of the Assistant Practitioner role; interviews with regional representatives of the Health Education England Local Education and Training boards, employers, higher and further education institutions, professional bodies and a Clinical Commissioning Group; and focus groups and interviews with trainee Assistant Practitioners and Assistant Practitioners.

Perceptions of the assistant theatre practitioner role: a view from my ivory tower.

At a recent AfPP event, during a debating session amongst fellow perioperative practitioners, the role and remit of assistant theatre practitioner (ATP) was raised. The debating panel's views were sought from several quarters and the subject seemed to spark discussion and much 'harrumphing' in the audience. A recently qualified ATP, who, having spent an intensive two years studying for a foundation degree, expressed his frustration about on-going role ambiguity and the struggle to have his newly acquired knowledge and skills recognised in practice. As a heated discussion went around the room, polarised views were emergent, in particular themed around concerns about delegation, accountability and scope of practice.

Should assistant practitioners be allowed to administer medicine?

Should assistant practitioners be allowed to administer medicine?

Using Student Lived Experience to Test the Theoretical basis of Work-based Learning

This paper draws on findings from a hermeneutic phenomenological study to identify whether a mismatch exists between the theoretical foundation of work-based learning and how work-based learning is experienced by work-based learners.Four models of work-based learning were compared against the lived experiences of former students who had been healthcare assistants (HCAs) working in acute clinical settings and employed within a large NHS hospital. All had completed a two-year Foundation degree in Health and Social Care (FdSc) course in preparation for becoming assistant practitioners (AP). Findings from interviews with participants were compared and contrasted with four models of work-based learning.While all four models capture the profoundly social nature of work-based learning, none of the models captured the challenge faced by Foundation degree student participants in making the transition from being a healthcare assistant and becoming a work-based learner to becoming an assistant practitioner. This finding was particularly significant to the lived experience of all participants in this study as the assistant practitioner role was completely new to workplace mentors, their departments and the NHS hospital Trust in which the research was undertaken.This paper suggests that there may be a gap in the literature in respect of a new model of work-based learning that captures the nature of work-based learning within clinical environments. Such a model might act as a differentiator between practice-based and work-based learning.

The impact of a foundation degree: graduate perspectives

This article aims to gain intelligence on the impact a foundation degree (FD) has on individuals personally and professionally, and to share the findings with employers and managers along with consideration of the wider implications. The FD is becoming more popular as a vehicle to the assistant practitioner (AP) role. To ensure education budgets are used effectively managers need to assess the value of such programmes. A small-scale mixed method study using a postal questionnaire to gather information from FD graduates was used. Benefits of the FD included: enhanced knowledge at work; enhanced skills at work; an impact on personal performance and on the service provided. Employers and managers encouraged to recognise not just the personal benefits of FD education on their employees but also the wider implications: equity of access to education budgets; acquisition of fundamental values; better recruitment and retention of unregistered workforce; diversification and new ways of working.

Assistant Practitioners (APs) in radiography: An exploration of perceptions and experiences related to role development

A mixed methods study was undertaken to investigate the role of Assistant Practitioners (APs) in radiography from an AP perspective and to explore how their roles have been integrated into the radiography workforce across England. The quantitative survey was followed by a qualitative study utilising semi-structured interviews, findings of which are presented in this paper. Thirty eight face to face, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis allowed the researcher to report experiences and meanings for APs, through a process of identifying, analysis and reporting patterns.Three main themes and eight sub-themes emerged from the data analyses. The first theme showed how participants felt the AP role developed over time. AP practice revealed a range of roles and responsibilities which resulted in confusing boundaries. Participants felt uncertain about their future role as APs. The second theme reflected on the factors that influenced the participants' perceptions. Findings showed that the acceptance of APs changed over time. Participants believed that they were competent to perform their roles and responsibilities. The third and final theme focused on the facilitating and constraining factors in AP practice. Supervision was seen as a constraining internal factor highlighting the fact that supervision practices varied across departments. In conclusion findings have identified a need for revised supervisory standards to inform departmental protocols and procedures.

Staff views of the introduction of APs into N Bristol NHS Trust

The article looks at the introduction of the assistant practitioner (AP) role into the established nursing teams within North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) by means of an evaluation of staff perceptions through their stories. This research was completed during 2011 and was submitted as a dissertation in partial fulfilment for the degree of MSc Leadership and Management in 2012. The full dissertation is freely available in the Trust library.

Practice-based Learning, but Not as We Know It: Lessons from Improvising Advanced Practice Roles

Practice-based learning is well established in the education of practitioners in health and social care. However, a singular description of practice-based learning is elusive, not least owing to global neo-liberal trends in the reform or modernisation of publicly funded services that challenge received approaches in diverse ways. This paper outlines some of these trends with reference to an example of a major workforce development intervention to modernise the healthcare workforce in northwest England, developing assistant and advanced practitioner roles through a work-based programme. In particular, it draws upon research that suggests that 'not knowing' calls forth improvisatory practices from practitioners and educators that offer promising possibilities for practice-based learning that is responsive to the challenges posed by forces of change and uncertainty

Northern soul: Manchester's part in creating the AP role

The article provides the reader with an historical overview—by the project director who led the development for the first 10 years—of how, when and where the assistant practitioner (AP) role was first developed, beginning in 2001. The project was called ‘Delivering the Workforce’ and became a long-term workforce modernisation strategy for the North West region. The AP role was the major role that emerged and is still in place today. The key principles that underpinned the development of the AP role are described, alongside some of the resources and processes that were used. The aim of the article is to provide readers with the background to the origins of the AP role and also to help provide an understanding of the context and risks that the original ‘pioneers’ took particularly the first students, the two universities, the ‘practice trainers, and the organisations. A short reflection on the AP role today and the original ‘AP design’ is briefly discussed.

Assessing the implementation process and outcomes of newly introduced assistant roles: a qualitative study to examine the utility of the Calderdale Framework as an appraisal tool

Internationally, the health workforce has undergone rapid transformation to help meet growing staffing demands and population requirements. Several tools have been developed to support workforce change processes. The Calderdale Framework (CF) is one such tool designed to facilitate competency-based training by engaging team members in a seven step process involving awareness raising, service and task analysis, competency identification, establishing support systems, training, and sustaining. This paper explores the utility of the CF as an appraisal tool to assess whether adherence to the tool influences outcomes. The CF was applied retrospectively to three complete evaluations of allied health assistant role introduction: a new podiatry assistant role (Australia), speech pathology assistant (Australia), and occupational therapy assistant practitioner role (UK). Adherence to the CF was associated with more effective and efficient use of the role, role flexibility and career development opportunities for assistants, and role sustainability. Services are less likely to succeed in their workforce change process if they fail to plan for and use a structured approach to change, assign targeted leadership, undertake staff engagement and consultation, and perform an initial service analysis. The CF provides a clear template for appraising the implementation of new roles and highlights the potential consequences of not adhering to particular steps in the implementation process.

Employers offered guidance on assistant practitioner roles

Employers offered guidance on assistant practitioner roles

An evaluation of the role of the Assistant Practitioner in critical care

To determine whether the Assistant Practitioner role has fulfilled the expectations of the original implementation plan which was to introduce this new role into the Critical Care Department of a large NHS Trust. This service evaluation will examine the introduction of Assistant Practitioners by establishing the perceptions of this new role and the impact of this change from key groups of staff, within the Critical Care Department. The Department of Health (DoH) recognized the potential of assistant practitioners in a range of care settings. As a participant in this DoH initiative the Trust introduced the role into a number of areas. This service evaluation was undertaken following the training of small cohorts of Assistant Practitioners within the Critical Care Department. A literature review was conducted initially searching the key words assistant practitioner, role development and critical care. A service evaluation was undertaken using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews for data collection. The data was analysed using a thematic approach. The responses from the various staff groups revealed a number of key themes including patient care skills, role, preparation and training, drug administration and patient allocation. Overall, the data suggests that the Assistant Practitioner role has fulfilled the expectations of the original implementation plan as they deliver care to patients in the clinical environment as required. However, the data also reveals that there are still issues to be resolved. The study has shown the Assistant Practitioners to be excellent in delivering patient care; however, there are limitations due to the complexity of the patient group in critical care areas.

The role of assistant practitioner for children and young people

Research in the adult health sector shows that the assistant practitioner (AP) role, at band 4 (Skills for Health Expert Paper 2011), has been a useful addition to healthcare teams. However, the introduction of this role in the healthcare sector for children and young people has been slow. This article offers an overview of UK research on the role and suggests scenarios in which APs can be employed usefully in child healthcare settings.

Role of the physiotherapy AP in postoperative cardiothoracic care

This article will outline the role of the physiotherapy assistant practitioner (AP) in respiratory care, specifically treating patients following cardiothoracic surgery. It is an innovative new role for both the Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the physiotherapy profession, with few pre-existing posts in this field. The role is relevant to other disciplines, as the key features can be transferred into nursing and other therapies. This article will provide a greater understanding of the scope the AP role can fulfil.

Integrated care–a way forward for APs

This article will explore the concept of integrated care and how the assistant practitioner (AP) role will be key in delivering the components required to improve patient and service outcomes. The educational and learning components necessary to embrace this role are discussed, in particular the collaborative learning approach within a foundation degree programme at Staffordshire University.

Developing the role of the AP in NHS Scotland

The following article provides a description of the NHS Tayside Assistant Practitioner Project. It discusses the background as to why the project was undertaken and describes the actions and key outcomes. This may be of interest to HSWs as an indication that there is scope for further development of the Assistant Practitioner (AP) role, providing opportunities for career progression.