Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Analysis

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Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Analysis
in relation to
Advanced nursing practice (APN) becoming
recognised as a valid part of nursing and health
care service provision globally
Carried out 29th June 2006, Sandton, South Africa
by Fadwa Affara
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Strengths

• Capable of undertaking complex decision making in
  relation to patient care
• Evidence of competence of nurses working in the
  ANP roles, and managing complex health problems
• Evidence of capability pf APN to deliver PHC and
  be entry point into the health system

• Determination (and stamina) to reach ANP goals
• Participation in policy making and formulation of
  legislation exists in some countries
• Highly skilled
• Able to work independently

3
Strengths

• Consumer trust
• Demonstrated acceptance by public
• An international definition of APN exists
• Information technology is used to access
  information about APN

• Affiliated/and or organised as a group
  internationally and nationally in some countries
• When not organised have a willingness to create
  some form of professional organisation
• Show great commitment and will to act to advance
  practice

4
Weaknesses

• Scope of practice conflicts with other health
  professionals
• APNs practise under varied levels of autonomy
• Failure to get ANP into human resources
  planning(APN needs assessment, role
  descriptions)
• Absence of career ladders

• Poor role clarification
• Uncertain identity
• Proliferation of titles
• Lack of clear identity affecting ability of APNs
  to communicate clear messages about ANP
• Lack of recognition by other health
  professionals
• Mistrust in nursing between ANPs and other nurses
  causing APNs to feel more at easy with medical
  rather than nursing values

5
Weaknesses

• Inappropriate reimbursement systems for APNs
• Inability to properly cost ANP services (private
  provider)
• Lack of a political will in supporting the role

• Fragmentation/ variability in standards and
  quality of education programmes
• Educational programmes may not keep up with the
  changing realities of practice
• Insufficient numbers of mentors

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Opportunities

• Workforce development in flux Changing health
  care environment
• Interest in innovative healthcare delivery models
• Sharing good practice
• Increasingly aware and vocal consumers who want
  to be involved in health decision making
• Strengthening voice of women in the public arena

• Diversity of APN practice creating discussion/
  stimulating interest globally
• Migration opening new opportunities to learn and
  advance personal competence
• Health care systems in crisis globally
• Nurses ability to influence health care through
  grass root means as well as by influencing top
  policy makers

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Opportunities

• Nursing education moving into the university
  sector
• Rising demand for management of chronic disease
• APNs being seen as a means to meet unmet health
  needs
• Physician shortage

• Nurses can bring much experience and knowledge to
  health care and occupy a pivotal position (deal
  with primary needs of human beings)
• Nurses seen capable of taking a leading role in
  health/social development
• Creating alliances with groups outside nursing

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Threats

• Medicalisation of health systems medical
  dominance
• Territorial protection
• Insufficient influence to affect health decisions
  and resource allocation
• Inadequate political skills/ strategies

• Value system of political decisionmakers
  unfavourable to APN goals, e.g. using economic
  retrenchment to cut APN services to marginalised
  underprivileged groups
• Diversity may lead to fragmentation
• APN perceived to be too expensive

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Threats

• Lack of clinical career pathways
• Insufficient faculty
• Insufficient definition of roles and scope of
  practice
• Low levels of funding for education and post
  creation
• Indemnity insurance difficult to obtain and
  becoming expensive

• Complacency
• Apathy
• Burnout
• Low status of nurses poor payment, recognition
  and contributions health care not valued
• Severe staff shortages