# Integrating Advanced Practice Nurses in Anesthesia to Tackle Gaps in Current Health Care: A Qualitative Study

## TL;DR

This study explores how integrating advanced practice nurses in anesthesia can help address gaps in Swiss healthcare, particularly in patient care and pain management.

## Contribution

The study introduces the potential of advanced practice nursing in anesthesia to improve perioperative care in Switzerland.

## Key findings

- Patients highlighted needs for better information, pain management, and reduced hospital stays.
- Nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists identified gaps in nursing visibility, interprofessional development, and pain therapy.
- Integrating advanced practice nurses could enhance preoperative support, interprofessional collaboration, and postoperative pain management.

## Abstract

Aging population and growing shortage of specialists present increasing challenges to anesthetic care. In Switzerland, advanced practice nurses in anesthesia are not yet integrated, despite their potential to contribute to innovative care models. This qualitative study explored current gaps in anesthetic care and assessed the potential role of advanced practice nursing in anesthesia. Semi‐structured interviews were held with 46 participants, including patients, nurse anesthetists, and anesthesiologists. Data were analyzed using Mayring's summarizing content analysis. Patients emphasized “Information and Preparation Needs,” “pain,” and “recurrent hospital stays.” Nurse anesthetists highlighted gaps in “making nursing care visible,” “(interprofessional) practice development,” and “pain therapy.” Anesthesiologists identified challenges in “changes in anesthesia,” the “treatment process,” and “pain management.” The results reveal relevant deficits in perioperative care, underscoring the need for sustainable solutions. Integrating advanced practice nurses into anesthesia could address these gaps by providing patient‐centered preoperative support, fostering interprofessional practice development in the operating room, and providing clinical leadership in the postoperative recovery room and pain management. Advanced practice nursing in anesthesia is a promising strategy to sustainably improve the quality of perioperative health care.

Contextual factors have led to care gaps in anesthesia, including a lack of advanced practice nursing in the postanesthesia care unit, as well as insufficient support for prehabilitation, patient‐centered care for individuals with chronic conditions, and pain management.While nurse anesthetists are already established as specialist nurses in anesthesia, advanced practice nurses (APNs) have not yet been integrated into this field within the Swiss healthcare system, despite their potential to address existing care and leadership gaps.Integrating APNs into anesthetic care could foster person‐centered approaches for chronically ill patients and strengthen the quality and continuity of pain management.

Contextual factors have led to care gaps in anesthesia, including a lack of advanced practice nursing in the postanesthesia care unit, as well as insufficient support for prehabilitation, patient‐centered care for individuals with chronic conditions, and pain management.

While nurse anesthetists are already established as specialist nurses in anesthesia, advanced practice nurses (APNs) have not yet been integrated into this field within the Swiss healthcare system, despite their potential to address existing care and leadership gaps.

Integrating APNs into anesthetic care could foster person‐centered approaches for chronically ill patients and strengthen the quality and continuity of pain management.