Conclusion
All stakeholders in health care are challenged
to contribute to the development of a health care
workforce with the right skill mix and competencies
to tackle the health care needs of the population.
The introduction and development of Advanced
Practice Roles in a specific health care system
is an option in this regard. This paper adds to
the current discussion on APNs by adding a conceptual
framework to analyze this introduction
through five drivers; (1) the health care needs of
the population, (2) education, (3) workforce, (4)
practice patterns and (5) legal and health policy
framework. Nurses will yield their greatest influence
on health care by focusing on the most
pressing health problems of a society, such as care
for the chronically ill. Examples from outcomes
research in ANP-led care models show favourable
outcomes. Thus, health systems facing challenges
such as increasing prevalence of chronic illness
and an aging population may wish to consider the
introduction of ANP and NP roles in order to improve
health outcomes in a cost-effective manner.