Community of practice: a nurse practitioner collaborative model.

A study was undertaken with nurse practitioners (NPs) in 2008-2009 to examine post-legislation role development in British Columbia. The authors used a participatory action research approach to engage NPs in social investigation, education and action, and to explore, from the participants' perspective, how collaboration advances NP role integration in primary healthcare. A particular discovery of the study was the Interior Health Authority Community of Practice (CoP) established in collaboration with health leaders and NPs.

A framework to assess nurse practitioner role integration in primary health care.

In the Canadian province of British Columbia, the nurse practitioner (NP) role was formally introduced in 2005. A participatory action research study was undertaken with NPs to examine how collaboration advances NP role integration in primary health care (PHC). The authors report on the study, in which the meaning of NP role integration was explored.

The power and politics of collaboration in nurse practitioner role development.

This health services study employed participatory action research to engage nurse practitioners (NPs) from two health authorities in British Columbia, Canada, to examine the research question: How does collaboration advance NP role integration within primary health-care? The inquiry was significant and timely because the NP role was recently introduced into the province, supported by passage of legislation and regulation and introduction of graduate education programs. In separate and concurrent inquiry groups, the NPs discussed their practice patterns, role development progress and understanding of collaboration and role integration. The inquiry revealed the political nature of the NP role and the extent to which NPs relied on collaborative relations at all levels of the health system to advance role integration.