Personal resources used by nurses enrolled in an advanced practice curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic in France: Sequential mixed research

Introduction: At the beginning of 2020, a public health emergency was declared in France following the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
Context: Nurses involved in an advanced practice mobilized their specific skills during this health crisis by drawing on the available resources.
Objectives: To analyze personal resources used by those nurses in the process of skill mobilization during the pandemic.
Method: Sequential mixed research, first quantitative and then qualitative, concerning nurses or students enrolled in an advanced practice curriculum.
Results: Our analysis highlighted two groups of activity for those nurses: frontline workers against COVID-19 or coordination. Coordination seemed to present more opportunities to use the specific skills of advance practice nursing.
Discussion: Adjustment strategies for stress (coping and hardiness) boost nurses’ commitment to their professional practice. Disciplinary knowledge contributes to the enrichment of the knowledge necessary for the mobilization of skills.
Conclusion: Future research should explore resources and the mobilization of skills in the implementation of advance practice nursing.