Assessment of advanced clinical practitioners

ABSTRACT

To continue growing the advanced clinical practitioner (ACP) role nationally, and similar roles internationally, there must be widely held trust in the level of practice and the roles worked in service by ACPs. This requires infrastructure to support ACPs through their training and ensure they are fit to qualify. This short report focuses on an evaluation of assessment processes in the acute sector in a county in England, to understand their feasibility and suitability. The qualitative research design was attendance at assessment panels and 17 semi-structured interviews with assessors and ACP trainees, from nursing, physiotherapy, paramedicine and operating department practice backgrounds based at two hospitals. Key themes identified through thematic analysis were the different approaches to assessment and the support required to engage effectively with assessment. One hospital had a well understood process, including ACPs with a clear identity. The other hospital had a credible assessment process that continues to be developed. The insights from this study enabled lessons to be drawn for those responsible for workforce development who are key to the future development of the ACP role and to ensure high standards of interprofessional care.

KEYWORDS:

• Assessment
• advanced clinical practice
• acute health care
• professional development
• interprofessional collaboration
• evaluation

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Professor John Sandars at Edgehill University for his helpful comments on a draft of the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This evaluation was funded by Health Education England.

Notes on contributors

Lucy Wallis

Lucy Wallis is a researcher in the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Winchester. Her research interests include health workforce development nationally and internationally. Her involvement in projects has included a national project exploring Allied Health Professions career choice motivations for students in the UK and global health projects with research partners in Ghana and Tanzania.

Rachel Locke

Rachel Locke is a Senior Lecturer in Global Health in the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Winchester. She leads on collaborative research with health and education-related partners concerning health profession education, development, and practice. Rachel’s work employs distinctive qualitative research that enables her to explore the experiences of professionals and broker their narratives to wider audiences.

Clare Sutherland

Clare Sutherland is a registered nurse who trained at St Bartholomews Hospital and qualified in 1990. She now works part time for Health Education England national teams, part time for east Midlands post graduate medical and dental education as an associate dean for interprofessional learning and part time as Associate Director for Advanced Clinical Practice in University Hospitals of Derby and Burton.

Beverley Harden

Beverley Harden is the Health Education England lead for the Allied Health Professions and Deputy Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (England). Her role also leads nationally on the multi-professional advanced and consultant practitioners.  She has a background as a physiotherapist.