Background: Research evidence supports the positive impact on resident outcomes of nurse practitioners (NPs)\r\nworking in long term care (LTC) homes. There are few studies that report the perceptions of residents and family\r\nmembers about the role of the NP in these settings. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of\r\nresidents and family members regarding the role of the NP in LTC homes.\r\nMethods: The study applied a qualitative descriptive approach. In-depth individual and focus group interviews\r\nwere conducted with 35 residents and family members from four LTC settings that employed a NP. Conventional\r\ncontent analysis was used to identify themes and sub-themes.\r\nResults: Two major themes were identified: NPs were seen as providing resident and family-centred care and as\r\nproviding enhanced quality of care. NPs established caring relationships with residents and families, providing both\r\ninformational and emotional support, as well as facilitating their participation in decision making. Residents and\r\nfamilies perceived the NP as improving availability and timeliness of care and helping to prevent unnecessary\r\nhospitalization.\r\nConclusions: The perceptions of residents and family members of the NP role in LTC are consistent with the\r\nconcepts of person-centred and relationship-centred care. The relationships NPs develop with residents and families\r\nare a central means through which enhanced quality of care occurs. Given the limited use of NPs in LTC settings,\r\nthere is an opportunity for health care policy and decision makers to address service inadequacies through strategic\r\ndeployment of NPs in LTC settings. NPs can use their expert knowledge and skill to assist residents and families to\r\nmake informed choices regarding their health care and maintain a positive care experience.
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