Highlighting the Invisible Work of Emergency Nurse Practitioners

This study sought to quantify and qualify the hidden work practices of emergency nurse practitioners (ENPs). A prospective multicenter study design was employed using 12 ENPs across 4 hospital emergency departments (ED) in Sydney, Australia. Using a Delphi technique, an electronic medical record template was developed to capture the hidden activities of ENPs defined as secondary consultations. Approximately one-quarter of ENP consultations are spent providing expertise to other ED clinicians. ED re-presentation rates are lower when an ENP provides a secondary consultation. This study highlights the invisible and valuable work of ENP contribution to emergency care.