Perceptions of the effectiveness of Advanced Practice Nurses on a neurosurgery unit in a Canadian Tertiary Care Centre: A pre-and-post implementation design.

Objectives: A framework for the advanced practice nurse (APN) role was developed in our Canadian Tertiary Care Centre, delineating five domains of advanced nursing practice: clinical practice, consultation, research, education and leadership. The goal of this study was to evaluate perceptions of the effectiveness of the implementation of an innovative APN role on an in-patient Neurosurgery unit.

Methods: A pre-and-post implementation design, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data, was utilized.

The needs of family members of severe traumatic brain injured patients during critical and acute care: a qualitative study.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a devastating injury for both patients and their family members. The goal of this study is to identify the needs expressed by family members, as patients with severe brain injury progress through their recovery. A qualitative study was undertaken with 25 family members who were associated with 15 injured relatives.