How Advanced Practice Nurses Can Be Better Managed in Hospitals: A Multi-Case Study

The labor markets for care professionals are a perennial topic of discussion. Advanced practice nurses (APN), as an advanced role in nursing, arose to solve the shortage of primary health care professionals. Prior research has advanced several areas of exploration for APNs’ training or employing methods in Chinese hospitals. However, this leaves a key imperative unexplored: the management strategy of APNs in hospitals. The present study seeks to explore the management strategy of APNs in Chinese hospitals. The resource orchestration theory served as the guide as the multi-case study method investigated 18 case hospitals, gathered information from a variety of case data sources, and summarized the management strategies for hospitals’ advanced practice nurses. Four types of APN management strategies—expert customized type, hierarchical linkage type, multidisciplinary benefit type, and professional penetration type—have been identified through resource orchestration. Hospitals can utilize the APN management strategy model as a guide to manage APNs in accordance with the unique characteristics of APN resources.