Nurse-surgeons in the Australian public health system: A descriptive quantitative survey.

Background: With over five billion people worldwide lacking access to surgery, innovative solutions are vital to address the global surgical crisis. Nurse-surgeons present a promising innovation. Considering their contribution worldwide and impact on surgical care in Australia, an exploration of these advanced practice nurses is timely. Objective: To investigate the roles, training, education, and perceptions of career prospects and support received by practicing nurse-surgeons in the Australian public health system. Design: Non-experimental descriptive national survey. Methods: The target population was nurse-surgeons practicing within the Australian public health system. The survey questionnaire comprised of four sections containing questions on nurse-surgeon demographics, roles, training, and perceptions of career prospects and support received. Data collection was conducted through emailing of public hospitals, crowdsourcing, and snowballing. Descriptive analysis was used to report the findings. Results: Twenty-eight nurse-surgeons participated in the study, 22 females and six males. Most commonly, participants ( Conclusions: Nurse-surgeons have been practicing in Australia for decades, yet no standard training and credentialing pathway exist for them. This study identified the various roles, non-standard training, and perceptions of nurse-surgeons in the Australian public health system. The findings of this study will have an impact on policymakers and stakeholders to develop standard national credentialing pathway for nurse-surgeons in Australia to enhance clinical practices and ensure a consistent framework for recognition and development of these advanced practice nurses.