Haemophilia nursing practice: A global survey of roles and responsibilities

Haemophilia nursing roles continue to develop alongside nursing as a profession. There are now nurses who practice autonomously, much like a medical practitioner, and many who have extended their roles to deliver direct patient care, education and research. There has been little, if any, comparison with haemophilia nurse roles internationally, nor of the impact of these roles on patient reported outcomes. This paper reports the results of an international survey, of 297 haemophilia nurses from 22 countries, describing current day practice and care. Many nurses work above and beyond their funded hours to improve care through research and evidence-based practice. While some are able to attend international meetings to report and discover this evidence, many due to financial constraints, are not. Others reported difficulty with communicating in English, which limited congress attendance. With on-line learning capability, sharing of best practice is now possible, and this approach should be a platform developed in coming years to further enhance haemophilia nursing practice and ultimately patient care.