The scope of role experience and cognition of advanced practice nurses: A scoping review

BACKGROUND: Despite APNs' advanced clinical autonomy, they still face significant role ambiguity and psychological challenges due to their complex professional positioning, and these issues have not been fully synthesized in existing studies. AIM: To clarify the current status of APNs' role experience and congnition. METHODS: Using the scoping review methodology as the framework, a comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases from the establishment of the databases to July 10, 2024. A total of 1183 studies were imported into EndNoteX9 for screening. Researchers used the thematic analysis method to classify the included studies. RESULTS: Three themes were identified from 14 included studies, including contradictory self-perception, professional self-recognition, and professional development ambiguity. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlighted that despite APNs' strong professional identity, their professional development is significantly constrained by role ambiguity. Additionally, it revealed inadequacies across multiple dimensions, including systemic norms, organizational support, and team support.