Quantifying the role of nurse specialists in epilepsy: Data from diaries and interviews

Aim: Previous research has identified that a clinical nurse specialist in epilepsy (CNSE) plays a key role in the management of people with epilepsy (Goodwin et al, 2004). However, there remains a lack of research that focuses on the clinical knowledge and skill base of an individual CNSE working at an advanced level of practice. The aim of this research study is to meet that void. Methods: Nine CNSEs participated in this study. Prospective data on their daily clinical and non-clinical activity over a period of 20 days using a self-completion diary was collected. Following quantitative collation of the data, the researchers obtained qualitative data from the nine respondents using structured interviews to clarify the initial data. Results: Respondents were highly autonomous in nurse-led clinics, and 40% of their time was spent on the clinical aspects of care, which included epilepsy assessment, ordering investigations and drug management. Time spent on non-clinical activities included teaching, education and research was 60%. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the advanced level of practice of the CNSE. As advanced nurse practitioners, the nine participants demonstrated an ability to make independent and complex decisions about patient care using clinical judgment and their unique and expert knowledge base.