Nurse Practitioner-Sensitive Outcome Measures in Older Person Care: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND

Nurse practitioner-sensitive outcomes (NPSOs) are critical indicators of the quality and effectiveness of nursing care provided to older adults. These outcomes, which include metrics such as falls, pressure ulcers, infection rates, frailty, delirium, length of stay, hospital readmissions, and quality of life (QoL), are essential for assessing the impact of nurse practitioners (NPs) and enhancing patient safety. Despite their importance, the current literature on NPSOs in services for older adults remains limited. This scoping review aims to address this gap by systematically mapping the existing research, identifying key themes, and uncovering areas needing further exploration. By doing so, the authors seek to provide a comprehensive overview that will inform future research directions and contribute to the enhancement of clinical practice in older person services (OPS). This review is important for healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers who are committed to improving the quality of nursing care and outcomes for older people.

AIM: The aim of this scoping review is to map the existing research on NPSOs in services for older adults. This review seeks to identify key themes and gaps in the current literature to guide future research and enhance clinical practice in this area.

METHOD: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were utilised to structure this scoping review.

RESULTS

From initial screening of 3593 manuscripts drawn from seven databases, 66 were deemed eligible for full screen. Five studies met the inclusion criteria and were ultimately selected for data extraction and analysis. The most common outcome measures reported were complications and comorbidities, and QoL.

CONCLUSIONS

This review highlights that the reporting of NPSOs in older person care is lacking and requires further attention.