Vascular nurse practitioner: a collaborative practice role in the acute care setting.

A collaborative practice model was initiated in a 440-bed university teaching hospital to trial the appropriateness and effectiveness of placing a nurse practitioner (NP) in the acute-care setting with a group of vascular surgeons. The vascular NP and three physicians collaborated as providers of patient care in both ambulatory and hospital settings. The NP managed and coordinated patient care. After orientation, the NP used a data-tracking form to record daily work activities categorized as direct care, indirect care, administration, education, and research. Satisfaction surveys were distributed to patients, nurses, and physicians to measure key elements of the NP's job responsibilities as they related to each group. The NP's data were independently analyzed, implications were discussed, and results were collated for presentation. The data were also used to guide future practice. The data reflected the vascular NP's unique acute care role within a specialty service.