Abstract
Background: Advanced practice providers (APPs), composed of advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants, comprise a rapidly expanding role in the healthcare provider workforce (Arthur et al., 2020; Proulx, 2021). Despite their vast contributions to patient care and outcomes, many APPs have minimal or no administrative representation within healthcare organizations which may contribute to decreased engagement, collaboration, and perceived belonging (Condit & Hafeman, 2019; Gooden & Cole, 2023; Proulx, 2021). Efforts to improve multidisciplinary inclusion and collaboration for APPs must be undertaken to retain and develop this skilled provider group (Swanson et al., 2023). This is particularly important for organizations that use contracted APPs versus those directly employed by the organization.
Purpose: The purpose of this APP-led project was to create a structured APP council at an urban community hospital that employs contracted APPs to foster improved engagement, collaboration, and belonging within the organization.
Methods: The APP leadership team partnered with executive leadership to establish the council. A literature review guided the strategic creation of a project charter including roles, bylaws, and structural processes. A survey was sent to all credentialed APPs within the organization to gauge interest and elicit themes for the council’s focus. The initial public meeting introduced the concepts of the council and established shared governance and subcommittees. Engagement was measured through a survey, meeting attendance, and qualitative feedback.
Findings: The APP council established public meetings, presented to the medical executive committee, and illuminated multiple APP-led evidence-based quality improvement projects. The APP council established itself as an official voice for APPs within the organization and as the go-to source for APP-related matters among APPs, providers, hospital staff, and administrators.
Conclusion: The APP council fostered engagement, improved quality outcomes for patient populations, and cultivated a community of interprofessional collaboration connecting medical and nursing care models. Advocating for APP voices through shared governance facilitates environments of belonging, an essential element fostering diverse perspectives with direct implications for nursing practice. To our knowledge, this is the first documented APP council within an organization that employs APPs through contracted groups.
Notes
References: Condit, M., & Hafeman, P. (2019). Advanced Practice Providers: How do we improve their organizational engagement? Nurse Leader, 17(6), 557–560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2019.02.004
Brown, H., Galvez, A., Koepke, S., Munsterman, E., Rabinovich, A., & Shepherd, S. (2022). Creating an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse council within a regional hospital network. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 52(11), 608. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000001217
Gooden, A., & Cole, L. (2023). Shared governance council to engage advanced practice registered nurses in a hospital setting. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 35(2), 163. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000802
Proulx, B. (2021). Advance Practice Provider transformational leadership structure: A model for change. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 51(6), 340. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000001024
Swanson, R. K., Diederich, T. A., Jordan-Schaulis, S., Reicks, B. L., & Zimmerman, R. (2023). Stronger together: PA and APRN shared governance council drives transformational change. JAAPA, 36(5), 1. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.JAA.0000921268.26022.96
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Interprofessional/interdisciplinary, Workforce, Policy/Advocacy
Recommended Citation
Goodwin, Victoria and Joyner, Jennifer, "A Journey Toward Belonging: Creating an Advanced Practice Provider Council" (2025). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 2.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2025/presentations_2025/2
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
A Journey Toward Belonging: Creating an Advanced Practice Provider Council
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Background: Advanced practice providers (APPs), composed of advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants, comprise a rapidly expanding role in the healthcare provider workforce (Arthur et al., 2020; Proulx, 2021). Despite their vast contributions to patient care and outcomes, many APPs have minimal or no administrative representation within healthcare organizations which may contribute to decreased engagement, collaboration, and perceived belonging (Condit & Hafeman, 2019; Gooden & Cole, 2023; Proulx, 2021). Efforts to improve multidisciplinary inclusion and collaboration for APPs must be undertaken to retain and develop this skilled provider group (Swanson et al., 2023). This is particularly important for organizations that use contracted APPs versus those directly employed by the organization.
Purpose: The purpose of this APP-led project was to create a structured APP council at an urban community hospital that employs contracted APPs to foster improved engagement, collaboration, and belonging within the organization.
Methods: The APP leadership team partnered with executive leadership to establish the council. A literature review guided the strategic creation of a project charter including roles, bylaws, and structural processes. A survey was sent to all credentialed APPs within the organization to gauge interest and elicit themes for the council’s focus. The initial public meeting introduced the concepts of the council and established shared governance and subcommittees. Engagement was measured through a survey, meeting attendance, and qualitative feedback.
Findings: The APP council established public meetings, presented to the medical executive committee, and illuminated multiple APP-led evidence-based quality improvement projects. The APP council established itself as an official voice for APPs within the organization and as the go-to source for APP-related matters among APPs, providers, hospital staff, and administrators.
Conclusion: The APP council fostered engagement, improved quality outcomes for patient populations, and cultivated a community of interprofessional collaboration connecting medical and nursing care models. Advocating for APP voices through shared governance facilitates environments of belonging, an essential element fostering diverse perspectives with direct implications for nursing practice. To our knowledge, this is the first documented APP council within an organization that employs APPs through contracted groups.
Description
A story of belonging: exploring the creation of an Advanced Practice Council journey in an urban community hospital. Despite their vast contributions to patient care and outcomes, many APPs have minimal or no administrative representation within healthcare organizations (Gooden & Cole, 2023; Proulx, 2021). The APP council fostered engagement, collaboration, visibility, and belonging for a group of underrepresented APPs through organizational leadership and advocacy.