Advanced Practice Nurse Task Questionnaire (APN-TQ)

Abstract

The Advanced Practice Nurse Task Questionnaire (APN-TQ; Beckmann et al., 2023) was developed to assess the tasks performed by Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) in a manner that is independent of their specific role or healthcare setting. The development process involved a thorough literature review, focusing on APN tasks aligned with the competencies outlined in Hamric’s model of advanced nursing practice (Tracy & O’Grady, 2018). An adapted version of Guide No. 87 by the Association for Medical Education in Europe (Artino Jr. et al., 2014) was also utilized, leading to the initial identification of 62 distinct tasks. Subsequent face and content validity analyses refined this to a final set of 32 items, which are organized into seven distinct factors. Further validation of the APN-TQ was conducted using a sample of nurses in Switzerland who possess extended nursing expertise comparable to that of an APN. The study reported findings related to exploratory factor analysis, construct validity, and internal consistency.

Keywords

Advanced Practice Nursing; Collaboration; Consultation; Direct Clinical Practice; Ethical Decision-Making; Evidence-Based Practice; Face Validity; Guidance and Coaching; Leadership; Model of Competencies

Authors

• Beckmann, Sonja

• Schmid-Mohler, Gabriela

• Müller, Marianne

• Spichiger, Elisabeth

• Nicca, Dunja

• Eicher, Manuela

• Ullmann-Bremi, Andrea

• Petry, Heidi

Purpose

The primary purpose of the APN-TQ is to assess tasks performed by advanced practice nurses, irrespective of their specific role or the healthcare setting in which they operate. This instrument aims to provide a comprehensive and standardized evaluation of these tasks.

Validity

Construct Validity: The study employed the Kruskal–Wallis test, which supported the researchers’ hypotheses by revealing significant differences in the performance of all three competencies across different APN groups. Specifically, direct clinical practice, which is one of the two subgroups, was more frequently performed by Nurse Practitioners (NPs) compared to those with blended roles and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs). Conversely, leadership tasks were more often performed by CNSs when compared to individuals in blended roles and NPs. Other competencies did not show significant differences across the groups.

Face Validity: Expert analysis played a crucial role in refining the questionnaire. This process led to the removal, modification, and adaptation of several items to ensure their relevance and clarity.

Content Validity: Content validity was assessed using two distinct methods: cognitive debriefing interviews and written content validation. During this process, nine items with a Content Validity Index (CVI) of 0.8 were thoroughly discussed by the research team. As a result, two items were eliminated, while seven were retained due to their conceptual importance for assessing the ongoing development of APNs in Switzerland (e.g., Items 3 and 5).

Reliability

Internal Consistency: The internal consistency of the APN-TQ was measured using Cronbach’s alpha. For the various subscales, the Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from .795 to .879, indicating good to excellent internal consistency.

Factor Analysis

Exploratory Factor Analysis: An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted using a principal axis factoring technique with Varimax rotation. This analysis identified a seven-factor solution that collectively explained 54.93% of the cumulative variance in the data. The identified factors are: Evidence-based practice; Ethical decision-making; Consultation; Leadership; Direct clinical practice; Guidance and coaching; and Collaboration.

Instrument: Advanced Practice Nurse Task Questionnaire (APN-TQ)

• Test Type: Original

• Format: Items are answered using four response categories: “never,” “occasionally” (1–10 times, approximately every third working day), “frequently” (11–20 times, approximately every second working day), or “constantly” (>20 times, almost every working day).

• Language Available: English

• Population Group: Human (Male and Female)

• Age Group: Adulthood (18 years and older), including Young Adulthood (18-29 years), Thirties (30-39 years), and Middle Age (40-64 years).

• Population Details: The study participants were nurses located in Switzerland.

• Test Methodology: The methodology involved various validation techniques including Test Validity, Construct Validity, Content Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, and Exploratory Factor Analysis.

Authors

• Beckmann, Sonja

  • Author ORCID Identifier: 0000-0002-6574-5893

  • Affiliation: Center of Clinical Nursing Science, University Hospital Zurich

  • Email address: [email protected]

• Schmid-Mohler, Gabriela

  • Author ORCID Identifier: 0000-0002-2610-636X

  • Affiliation: Center of Clinical Nursing Science, University Hospital Zurich

• Müller, Marianne

  • Affiliation: School of Health Professions, Bern University of Applied Sciences

• Spichiger, Elisabeth

  • Affiliation: Directorate of Nursing, Inselspital Bern University Hospital

• Nicca, Dunja

  • Affiliation: Department of Public and Global Health, Epidemiology Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zürich

• Eicher, Manuela

  • Author ORCID Identifier: 0000-0002-7691-0719

  • Affiliation: Institute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital

• Ullmann-Bremi, Andrea

  • Affiliation: University Children’s Hospital

• Petry, Heidi

  • Author ORCID Identifier: 0000-0001-5220-4273

  • Affiliation: Center of Clinical Nursing Science, University Hospital Zurich

Correspondence Address: Beckmann, Sonja: Universitätsspital Zürich, Zentrum Klinische Pflegewissenschaft, Raemistrasse 100, Zurich, Switzerland, CH-8091, [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

• Permissions: Contact the Corresponding Author for permissions.

• Fee: No

• Commercial: No

• Test Year: 2023

Files

No file is available.

References

Beckmann, S., Schmid‐Mohler, G., Müller, M., Spichiger, E., Nicca, D., Eicher, M., Ullmann‐Bremi, A., & Petry, H. (2023). Validation of the newly developed Advanced Practice Nurse Task Questionnaire: A national survey. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 79(12), 4791–4803. doi:10.1111/jan.15752

Items of the Advanced Practice Nurse Task Questionnaire (APN-TQ)

The Advanced Practice Nurse Task Questionnaire (APN-TQ) is a 32-item measure. The items are grouped across seven factors:

• Evidence-based practice

• Ethical decision-making

• Consultation

• Leadership

• Direct clinical practice

• Guidance and coaching

• Collaboration

No data is Available regarding the specific content of each item. The test location is 2024-26730-030, Table 3, Pages 4798-4799.