Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Asian J Neurosurg
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1788681
Review Article

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) as Game Changers in Tanzania Health Delivery System: Lessons Learnt from Fujita Bantane Hospital in Japan

Grace Emmanuel Kombe
1   Department of ICU, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar Es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
,
Jumaa Tram Almasi
2   Department of Social Welfare, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar Es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
,
Yoko Kato
3   Department of Neurosurgery, Fujita Health University Bantane Hospital, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
,
Boon Seng Liew
4   Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
5   Clinical Research Centre, Institute of Clinical Research, Setia Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
› Further Information
Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Shortage of physicians/doctors in the primary health care system has been evidenced in various countries. Among other things, these countries deployed nurse practitioners (NPs) in the health care delivery system to address this shortage. Countries in America, Europe, and Asia use NPs to address physicians/doctors shortage in the primary health care delivery systems. Various studies have shown that NPs have been deployed in primary health care facilities to curb these shortages.While in Tanzania shortage of physicians/doctors and other health professionals is evidenced in every sector of the health care system, nurses play a crucial role to cover this shortage by providing care and support for individuals and communities. Nurses work in various settings from being a nurse, counselor, laboratory technologist, social worker, educationist, and physician, to name a few. Nurses play a key role in preventing, diagnosing, and attending to common health problems. The question is, “When will the Tanzanian health delivery system recognize the pivotal role of these nurses and upgrade them to NPs?” This study suggests that deployment of NPs in Tanzania's health care systems could be a “game changer.” As a fellow on Critical Care Nursing Course at Fujita Health University Bantane Hospital in Japan, witnessed deployment of NPs in health care delivery and the reaped benefits are enormous; increased access to health care services, reduction in health care costs, reduced hospital stays, and customer satisfaction through client empowerment and comfort. This is an observational study of tasks performed by NPs in Fujita Health University Bantane Hospital and their relevance as a positive innovation to curb physician shortages for effective health care delivery. The duration of the study at Bantane Hospital was 2 months from January 15 to March 16, 2024. One-to-one interviews with NPs on duty were conducted. Also, collected and reviewed information from Tanzanian government Web sites, published government documents, and academic literature. Results show that NPs perform a lot of procedures that physicians/doctors were supposed to do. In the wards, theater, laboratories, and clinics, they play a pivotal role to curb shortage of physicians/doctors in health settings. NPs are an effective addition to medical facilities. They perform various procedures in the absence of the doctors. The findings from this study have important implications for improving health care delivery in Tanzania. NPs could be “game changers” in the health care landscape in Tanzania. Investment on nurses' education, proper training, and policy changes in nurse practice regulations are key for this to succeed.

Keywords

Tanzania - nurse practitioners - Fujita Health University - nursing - Bantane Hospital - game changers - Japan - health care system


Publication History

Article published online:
26 July 2024

© 2024. Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India