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September 19, 2026JACC Case ReportsOpen Access

Structured workforce development improves perceived leadership support for cardiovascular NPs and PAs by ~48%.

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Why the study?

Cardiovascular practices increasingly rely on nurse practitioners and physician associates, but workforce instability, inconsistent onboarding, and limited professional development opportunities may negatively impact engagement and retention.

Does a structured workforce development initiative improve engagement and professional growth among cardiovascular nurse practitioners and physician associates?

Population

Nurse practitioners and physician associates in a large academic cardiovascular practice

Comparison

Systems-level workforce development program vs baseline

Design

2-year quality improvement initiative

Follow-up

2-year

Key result

A structured workforce development initiative for cardiovascular nurse practitioners and physician associates improved perceived leadership support from 54% to 80% over 2 years.

Authors

SSSara SeversonMYMichele YeadonMBMichelle Booth-Kowalczyk

Discussion

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Member takes

Overview

May bolster engagement among cardiovascular advanced practice providers; leaves open generalizability and clinical outcome impact.

Key Points

  • Evaluate the impact of a structured, longitudinal workforce development initiative on engagement, professional growth, and workforce stability among cardiovascular nurse practitioners and physician associates.
  • Conducted a 2-year quality improvement initiative within a large academic cardiovascular practice.
  • Implemented a systems-level workforce program spanning structured onboarding, mentorship, professional development, research engagement, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and leadership development.
  • Perceived leadership support rose from 54% to 80%, while academic rank advancement increased from 43% to 48%.
  • Research participation increased by 120%, leadership and committee involvement rose by 267%, and peer-reviewed publications increased by 24%.
  • Continuing medical education participation increased by 27% following program implementation.

Structured PICO

Does a structured workforce development initiative improve engagement and professional growth among cardiovascular nurse practitioners and physician associates?

P
Population
Nurse practitioners and physician associates in a large academic cardiovascular practice participating in a 2-year quality improvement initiative.
I
Intervention
A structured, longitudinal workforce development initiative (systems-level workforce development program across onboarding, mentorship, professional development, collaboration, research engagement, and leadership development)
C
Comparator
Baseline (prior to the initiative)
O
Outcome
Nurse practitioners and physician associate engagement, professional growth, and workforce stability

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: 80% vs 54%

A structured workforce development initiative for cardiovascular nurse practitioners and physician associates significantly improved perceived leadership support, research participation, and academic advancement.

Cite This Study

Severson et al. (2026) studied Cardiovascular practice workforce. Structured, longitudinal workforce development initiative vs. Baseline was evaluated on Perceived leadership support. A structured workforce development initiative for cardiovascular nurse practitioners and physician associates improved perceived leadership support from 54% to 80% over 2 years.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aae47640c69660b71ecc642https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccas.2026.109309
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Nurse practitioner and physician assistant collaborative staffing innovations to improve a cardiovascular surgery practice2025
  2. 2Integration of a nurse practitioner and physician associate leadership structure within an academic cancer center2024
  3. 3Development of an advancement pathway for NPs in critical care to promote job satisfaction and retention2026
  4. 4Implementation of a standardized transition to practice program for nurse practitioners and physician associates2026
  5. 5Managed Care Challenges and Opportunities for Cardiovascular Advanced Practice Nurses1997 · 7 citations