Survey of attitudes and willingness of cardiovascular specialist nurses towards nurse practitioners in Sichuan, China: A cross-sectional study

This study investigated the attitudes and willingness of cardiovascular specialist nurses in Sichuan, China toward nurse practitioners (NPs), analyzed the influencing factors, and provided references for further research on cardiovascular NPs. Convenience sampling was used to select 371 cardiovascular specialist nurses from 51 hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. The participants completed an online survey using a questionnaire developed for this study that assessed their attitudes and willingness toward NPs. The results indicate that cardiovascular specialist nurses hold varying attitudes toward NPs. Multiple linear regression analysis reveals that professional title and monthly income level are significant factors influencing attitude scores (P < .05). The primary concerns regarding the development of cardiovascular NPs include low patient understanding and acceptance, insufficient professional competence, inadequate educational preparation, and a lack of support from relevant policies and regulations for practice. Cardiovascular specialist nurses hold mixed attitudes toward NPs and still have concerns about future development prospects and potential difficulties. To address these issues, it is necessary to provide training to nurses on the required knowledge, promptly introduce policies and regulations, and establish standardized access systems and training programs to provide strong guarantees for the development of NPs.