Nurse effectiveness open library

Welcome

The RNAO Nurse Effectiveness Library features a comprehensive collection of publications highlighting nurses’ impact on the Quintuple Aim. Explore evidence of nurses driving health system transformation and leading evidence-based change across sectors in Canada and globally.

Nurse effectiveness

Designed to inform research, policy and clinical practice, this library is the result of a comprehensive scoping review (2000–2025). Conducted in 2024–2025, the review assessed nurses’ global impact across settings and sectors, focusing on contributions to health equity, patient experience, provider satisfaction, value of care, and population health, collectively known as the Quintuple Aim. 

Findings informed the creation of the Nurse Effectiveness Open Library, a resource that currently shares data on Nurse Practitioners and will soon expand to include other nursing roles.  Coming Soon: Registered nurses, registered practical nurses/licensed practical nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse anesthetists. This library provides accessible evidence to inform decision‑making and strengthen health system performance. RNAO will continue to review and update this project on a two-year cycle to reflect the latest evidence and ensure its continued relevance and impact.

Contribute to the Nurse Effectiveness Library   Contact us

Background & history

This project builds on RNAO’s earlier work showcasing 70 years of nurse effectiveness across clinical outcomes, organizational performance and financial results.

Learn more

References for registered nurse effectiveness are coming soon.

2014
Outcomes of adding acute care nurse practitioners to a Level I trauma service with the goal of decreased length of stay and improved physician and nursing satisfaction.
Publication: The journal of trauma and acute care surgery
Author/s: Nina Collins, Richard Miller, April Kapu, Rita Martin, Melissa Morton, Mary Forrester, Shelley Atkinson, Bethany Evans, Linda Wilkinson
DOI: 10.1097/TA.0000000000000097
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2014
Patient perceptions of emergency department fast track: a prospective pilot study comparing two models of care.
Publication: Australasian emergency nursing journal : AENJ
Author/s: Matthew Lutze, Mark Ross, Matthew Chu, Tim Green, Michael Dinh
DOI: 10.1016/j.aenj.2014.05.001
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2014
Quality and financial impact of adding nurse practitioners to inpatient care teams.
Publication: The Journal of nursing administration
Author/s: April N Kapu, Ruth Kleinpell, Bonnie Pilon
DOI: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000000031
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2014
Roles of nurse practitioners and family physicians in community health centres.
Publication: Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien
Author/s: Simone Dahrouge, Laura Muldoon, Natalie Ward, William Hogg, Grant Russell, Rebecca Taylor-Sussex
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2014
Rural geriatric glue: a nurse practitioner-led model of care for enhancing primary care for frail older adults within an ecosystem approach.
Publication: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Author/s: Sadhana Prasad, Wendy Dunn, Loretta M Hillier, Carrie A McAiney, Rex Warren, Paul Rutherford
DOI: 10.1111/jgs.12982
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2014
Substitution of physicians by nurses in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Publication: BMC health services research
Author/s: Nahara Anani Martinez-Gonzalez, Sima Djalali, Ryan Tandjung, Flore Huber-Geismann, Stefan Markun, Michel Wensing, Thomas Rosemann
DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-14-214
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2014
Supporting cardiovascular risk reduction in overweight and obese hypertensive patients through DASH diet and lifestyle education by primary care nurse practitioners
Publication: Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Author/s: Julie Jarl, Jerlyn C. Tolentino, Kathy James, Mary Jo Clark, Margaret Ryan
DOI: 10.1002/2327-6924.12124
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2014
The accuracy of adult limb radiograph interpretation by emergency nurse practitioners: A prospective comparative study
Publication: International Journal of Nursing Studies
Author/s: G.A. Lee, K. Chou, N. Jennings, G. O’Reilly, E. McKeown, A. Bystrzycki, D. Varma
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.08.001
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
URL: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0020748913002411
2014
The development and testing of a nurse practitioner secondary prevention intervention for patients after acute myocardial infarction: a prospective cohort study
Publication: International journal of nursing studies
Author/s:
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.04.004
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2014
https://uhn.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.a…

" target="_blank">The Effects of Discharge Planning for the Elderly with Pulmonary Disease in the Emergency Room.
Publication: Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
Author/s: Hyeon-Ju Kim, Yeon-Hwan Park
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
URL: https://uhn.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cul&AN=97385813&site=ehost-live&scope=site
2014
The evolving role of the pediatric nurse practitioner in hospital medicine
Publication: Journal of Hospital Medicine
Author/s:
DOI: 10.1002/jhm.2162
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1553-5606
2014
The impact of a nurse practitioner rapid response team on systemic inflammatory response syndrome outcomes.
Publication: Dimensions of critical care nursing : DCCN
Author/s: Linda Benson, Susan Hasenau, Nancy O'Connor, Diane Burgermeister
DOI: 10.1097/DCC.0000000000000046
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2014
Using the Donabedian framework to examine the quality and safety of nursing service innovation.
Publication: Journal of clinical nursing
Author/s: Glenn Gardner, Anne Gardner, Jane O'Connell
DOI: 10.1111/jocn.12146
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2013
A comparison of modified directly observed therapy to standard care for chronic hepatitis C.
Publication: Journal of community health
Author/s: Patricia A Cioe, Michael D Stein, Kittichai Promrat, Peter D Friedmann
DOI: 10.1007/s10900-013-9663-3
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2013
A systematic review of the effectiveness of advanced practice nurses in long-term care
Publication: Journal of Advanced Nursing
Author/s: Faith Donald, Ruth Martin-Misener, Nancy Carter, Erin E. Donald, Sharon Kaasalainen, Abigail Wickson-Griffiths, Monique Lloyd, Noori Akhtar-Danesh, Alba DiCenso
DOI: 10.1111/jan.12140
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2013
Advanced care nurse practitioners can safely provide sole resident cover for level three patients: impact on outcomes, cost and work patterns in a cardiac surgery programme.
Publication: European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
Author/s: Henry Skinner, Julian Skoyles, Sue Redfearn, Raj Jutley, Ian Mitchell, David Richens
DOI: 10.1093/ejcts/ezs353
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2013
An innovative care model coordinated by a physical therapist and nurse practitioner for osteoarthritis of the hip and knee in specialist care: a prospective study.
Publication: Rheumatology international
Author/s: Veronique M A Voorn, Henricus M Vermeulen, Rob G H H Nelissen, Margreet Kloppenburg, Tom W J Huizinga, Nicolette A C Leijerzapf, Herman M Kroon, Thea P M Vliet Vlieland, Henrica M J van der Linden
DOI: 10.1007/s00296-012-2662-3
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2013
APN telephone follow up to low-income first time mothers
Publication: Journal of Clinical Nursing
Author/s:
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2011.04065.x
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2013
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3555674/

" target="_blank">Assessment of the Siksika chronic disease nephropathy-prevention clinic
Publication: Canadian Family Physician
Author/s: David R.R. Ward, Ellen Novak, Nairne Scott-Douglas, Sony Brar, Melvin White, Brenda R. Hemmelgarn
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3555674/
2013
Breast cancer follow-up: from the perspective of health professionals and patients.
Publication: European journal of cancer care
Author/s: A B G Kwast, C H C Drossaert, S Siesling
DOI: 10.1111/ecc.12094
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2013
https://uhn.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.a…

" target="_blank">Comparison of Outcomes of Patients with Diabetes Receiving Care by Way of Three Primary Care Practice Models.
Publication: Pacific Rim International Journal of Nursing Research
Author/s:
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
URL: https://uhn.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cul&AN=85818586&site=ehost-live&scope=site
2013
Consumer satisfaction among patients and their general practitioners about involving nurse specialists in primary care for patients with urinary incontinence
Publication: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
Author/s: Pytha Albers-Heitner, Ron Winkens, Bary Berghmans, Manuela Joore, Fred Nieman, Johan Severens, Toine Lagro-Janssen
DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2012.01023.x
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2013
Determinants of patient satisfaction in an Australian emergency department fast-track setting.
Publication: Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
Author/s: Michael M Dinh, Nicholas Enright, Andrew Walker, Ahilan Parameswaran, Matthew Chu
DOI: 10.1136/emermed-2012-201711
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2013
Effect of shared care on blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease: a cluster randomised controlled trial.
Publication: The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
Author/s: Nynke D Scherpbier-de Haan, Gerald M M Vervoort, Chris van Weel, Joze C C Braspenning, Jan Mulder, Jack F M Wetzels, Wim J C e Grauw
DOI: 10.3399/bjgp13X675386
Collection: Nurse Practitioner
2013
Exploring outcomes of a nurse practitioner-managed cardiac surgery follow-up intervention: A randomized trial
Publication: Journal of Advanced Nursing
Author/s:
DOI: 10.1111/jan.12075
Collection: Nurse Practitioner