The influence of policy, legislation and population health trends on characteristics of student Nurse Practitioners. Transforming Health Care

Background: Master level nurse practitioner (NP) courses have been delivered in Australia for more than fifteen years. This relatively new nursing model is evolving in response to changing needs of the population and health service providers and driven by complex political agendas, public health policy and government funding priorities. Significant changes in the characteristics of students undertaking master of NP courses to keep up with emerging public health needs have been observed. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify NP specialty trends in Queensland and examine correlations with population health and political drivers for health reform. Methods: A retrospective audit of a leading Queensland university student NP application records was conducted. Outcomes of interest included: year of study commencement, specialty area of practice, self-funded or candidate position, regional or metropolitan resident, and qualification of clinical mentors. Data was examined to identify and correlate trends in NP student characteristics with political policy, funding and legislation changes. that occurred during this time. Findings: Characteristics of student NPs have changed significantly since inception of this Queensland Master of NP Course in 2006. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of the NP role which is evolving in parallel to primary health care reform. Despite a decrease in financially supported candidate positions there has been an expansion in student NP specialty areas of practice into primary health care including palliative care and chronic health disease. In 2019 the first primary health network funded NP student positions in palliative care were launched in Qld, recognising that the NP role is pivotal in this growing area of need. Recommendations: Findings of this study provide important insights into the evolution of the NP role in one Australian site. There is potential for NP education providers across Australia to learn more by engaging in a national audit of NP student characteristics. Identifying key areas of growth in specialty practice will facilitate a better understanding of the interplay between the NP role and health care reform. There is also an opportunity for NP education providers to engage with primary health care providers in advocating for NP candidate positions in the future.