Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41808331›Full record

SynthesisJournal of advanced nursing2026

Ten-Year Update of Nurse Practitioner Service Impact on Patient and Health Service Outcomes in Emergency Care Settings-A Systematic Review.

Amanda Fox, Suzanne Williams, Natasha Jennings, Ella Marie Tomkins, Rosie Glynn, Corinne Dunningham, Kathleen Tori

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of advanced nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Amanda FoxCentre for Healthcare Translation, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4947-339X
Suzanne WilliamsSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5491-4340
Natasha JenningsQueensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7916-6470
Ella Marie TomkinsSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6550-2736
Rosie GlynnQueensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8677-4290
Corinne DunninghamLa Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5464-6841
Kathleen ToriSchool of Nursing, Paramedicine, and Healthcare Services, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4026-6842

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsTo provide a 10-year update on the best available evidence evaluating the impact of nurse practitioner services on cost, waiting times, patient satisfaction, representation rates, and length of stay in emergency and urgent care settings.

designSystematic review. DATA SOURCES: The search was completed on January 28, 2025, in Embase (Elsevier), Medline (EBSCOhost), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Cochrane Library (Wiley), Emcare (Ovid), Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate) and Scopus (Elsevier). The data range (2014-2024) was used to limit the search.

methodsThe search was conducted with results imported into Covidence. In Covidence, two reviewers conducted screening, data extraction, and quality appraisal of articles, and findings were analysed using a narrative synthesis approach. Eligible studies examined nurse practitioner services in emergency or urgent care settings, reporting outcomes of cost, waiting times, patient satisfaction, representation rates, and length of stay.

resultsTitle and abstract screening were performed on 2329 records. Of these, 236 full-text articles were reviewed, and 17 underwent critical appraisal and data extraction. Narrative analysis of outcome measures yielded mixed results, with both favourable and unfavourable findings reported regarding nurse practitioner services.

conclusionsGlobal evaluation of nurse practitioner services in emergency care remains inconsistent. Nevertheless, emerging evidence supports their positive impact, particularly in improving patient outcomes. To effectively inform policy, workforce planning and clinical integration, there is a need for professional benchmarks that provide clear frameworks for the evaluation of patient-centred outcomes and operational impacts in emergency departments. IMPLICATIONS: Evidence related to nurse practitioner services in emergency and urgent care clinics highlights the positive impact of nurse practitioner services on patient wait times and satisfaction; however, there is limited and variable evidence of impact on health care costs and outcomes. IMPACT: This paper recommends that evaluating emergency nurse practitioner services requires homogeneous research using consistent professional benchmarks and evaluation frameworks. REPORTING

methodThis systematic review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct, or reporting. TRAIL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO 2025 CRD420250645148.

Indexed as

Emergency Medical ServicesEmergency Service, HospitalNurse PractitionersPatient SatisfactionEmergency Room VisitsFemaleHumansLength of StayMalecostdelivery of healthcareemergency departmenthospital emergency servicelength of staynurse practitionerspatient satisfactiontime to treatmenturgent carewaiting times

Identifiers

PMID41808331
PMCPMC13576742

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.