Enabling, empowering, encouraging and ennobling associate nurses: a theoretical framework to address the challenges faced by the role

Ryan-Blackwell, Gemma and Genders, Nicky (2024). Enabling, empowering, encouraging and ennobling associate nurses: a theoretical framework to address the challenges faced by the role. Nursing Management (In press).

Abstract

The nursing associate (NA) role is a relatively new one, with the first few registrants qualifying in 2019. This study aimed to explore where the weaknesses and threats to the role exist so that mechanisms to mediate these can be identified.
Methods
A realist ethnographic approach uses semi-structured interviews with NAs (n=8) and focus groups with people supporting NAs (n=8).
Results
Five ‘entities’ influence the NA journey: i) trainee/NA, ii) healthcare team, iii) education providers, iv) employing organisation, and v) national organisations such as the professional body. Weaknesses and threats included incivility, lack of role clarity/ambiguity, the scope of the role, curriculum, and placements, and personal motivations and career progression.
Conclusions
A framework, addressing the weaknesses and threats was produced. This outlines interventions and improvements to encourage, enable, empower, and ennoble NAs that the entities can make to promote better and support the implementation of the NA role into practice.

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