References
Experiences of advanced clinical practitioners in training and their supervisors in primary care using a hub and spoke model
Abstract
Advanced clinical practitioners are in demand in primary care. This study looked at the experiences of participants in a hub and spoke training model using a qualitative approach
Background:
Advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) have been fundamental in ensuring the provision of expert care, resulting in an increase in demand in primary care. This demand has incentivised innovation in approaches to education, to maximise the benefits of training with limited resources and harnessing the expertise in the workforce.
Aim:
To develop a method of educating and supervising advanced clinical practitioners in training (ACPiTs) in primary care settings situated in a novel hub and spoke environment.
Methods:
A qualitative approach with close methodological links to the philosophical work of Heidegger was used to capture the nature of existence and reality in the hub and spoke environment.
Results:
Three main themes emerged from the study: support; supervision; and vision.
Conclusion:
The hub and spoke format of training is a useful alternative to traditional methods in developing practitioners who work in a bespoke yet broad practice environment, such as primary care.
Advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) are often misguidedly regarded within the health care arena as nurses with extra knowledge and skills. ACPs are typically viewed as nurses because there are predominantly more nursing ACPs than any other profession. However, over many years, multiple professions (e.g. physiotherapy, social work, audiology, paramedic fields) have trained professionals who are now practising in a role that demands advanced clinical and theoretical skills. Importantly though, ACPs do not have a separate professional registration and remain solely recorded with their original regulatory professional body. Recognition of ACP status is widely disputed, partly due to the lack of title protection and partly due to a lack of professional regulation of the role and training required despite the recent multi-professional framework and definition of advanced clinical practice (Health Education England [HEE], 2017), which defines a level of practice.
The roles of ACPs have broadened over time, but there has been an emphasis on primary care and general practice. ACPs have been fundamental in ensuring the provision of expert care and maintaining essential services, and the role is in greater demand than ever in primary care. This demand has incentivised innovation in approaches to education to maximise the benefits of training with limited resources and by harnessing the expertise in the workforce.
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