Advanced Practice Nursing in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Abstract

Development of advanced practice nursing in the Eastern Mediterranean Region including the success stories and challenges are described in this chapter.

As a response to the challenge of providing timely and accessible service to clients, especially the more vulnerable members of the community in the region, the World Health Organization held a consultation on advanced practice nursing and nurse prescribing in the Eastern Mediterranean Region in June 2001 in Pakistan. The consultation discussed the scope of professional roles and responsibilities, regulation of advanced practice nursing and implications for nursing education, practice and regulation.

Although half of the countries surveyed stated that nurses practiced at the advanced level in their country, the description of what these roles actually entailed indicates that there is quite a varied understanding of the nature and scope of advanced practice. For some it meant nurses working in a specialist or supervisory role or carrying one or two ‘advanced’ tasks (e.g. prescribing, suturing, venepuncture), some of which are seen as advanced in some countries but are part of the general nurse’s repertoire of skills in others.

The journey of the Sultanate of Oman as one of the first leading countries that has systemically developed the APN role in the Eastern Mediterranean Region is delineated.

The progress of advanced practice nursing in the region has been slow but steady. A lot of advocacy and role clarification has taken place among nurses, health professionals and health policy makers within the region. Recently, the region has shown interest in developing the family health nursing role where these nurses can perform their roles in collaboration with family physicians and contribute to better health outcomes.

The nursing leadership in the region played a pivotal role in the development of nursing across all fields including advanced practice nursing.

ANNEX 1: Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region Countries

Adapted from the Report on the Fifth Meeting of the Regional Advisory Panel on Nursing and Consultation on Advanced Practice Nursing and Nurse Prescribing: Implications for Regulation, Nursing Education and Practice. Islamabad, Pakistan, 24–26 June 2001. World Health Organization-Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office. Cairo, Egypt, 2002.

I am working on updating the situation of advanced practice nursing and midwifery in our region, I would greatly appreciate it, if you take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions and provide answers to the best of your knowledge about the situation in your country:

• 1. What is the educational preparation for advanced practice nurses in your country?

• 2. Is there an agreed upon definition for APN in your country?

• 3. Is there a written scope of practice for APN?

• 4. Is the APN regulated in your country?

• 5. What are the core competencies identified for the role?

• 6. What are the various practice settings in which the nurse can exhibit the role?

• 7. Describe the nature of nurse prescribing in your country:

  • (a) Do nurses, midwives, public health/community health nurses, lady health visitors, other support workers to nursing (community health workers, lady health workers) prescribe?

  • (b) If yes, is there a legal framework for nurse prescribing in your country?

  • (c) Who grants nurses, midwives and other nursing personnel this authority?

  • (d) Describe the regulatory process for nurse prescribing and under what circumstances?

• 8. What can nurses, midwives and other support workers to nursing prescribe and under what circumstances?

• 9. Do nurses prescribing have the right to refer patients to other professionals?

• 10. Are there cases where protocols, standards are set which allow nurses, midwives and other support workers to nursing to prescribe?

Thank you for your participation