Advanced Practice Nursing Essay

Credentialing from advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) perspective is defined as “furnishing the documentation necessary to be authorized by a regulatory body or institution to engage in certain activities and use a certain title” (Hanson, 2014). Credentialing is also define from a local institutional process that consider specific documentations for APRN before they assume the practice role as APRN within their facility. In health care system, credentialing ensures individuals meet required standards of practice and is prepared to perform those duties implied by the credentials. National certification and education are considered as part of credentialing for APRN to acquire basic level of competence to practice. (Hanson, 2014)

The APRN Consensus Model was released in July of 2008 to define advanced practice registered nurse, identify the titles to be used by APRNs, and define specialty area of practice. The Consensus Model also describes population foci, suggests a process for recognition of new APRN roles, and recommends requirements for implementation (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2010). The APRN regulatory model helps uniform scope of practice of APRN across the United States, which benefit individual APRN, enhance patient outcomes, and improve the quality of care. Consensus Model consists of Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education. The Education criteria in LACE Consensus Model relate to all APRN programs regardless of master’s or doctoral

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses are registered nurses who have completed masters or post-masters degrees. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing recognizes four APN specialties

Advanced practice nurses have core competencies that are similar or are specific to each specialization defined as an advanced practice. The profession of nursing presents favorable circumstances for nurses to specialize in roles with distinct responsibilities and opportunities to contribute to the function of a health care industry with growing demands and complexity. The profession of nursing continues to debate to whom the title advanced practice nurse applies to. Examination of the core concept frame works described by nurse leaders and professional organizations tend to either support or refute the argument related to the use of the term, advanced practice nurse for nursing administrators and educators. For the purpose of this paper the author will explore the core competency similarities and differences of a nurse practitioner and a nurse educator. Nurse educators and nurse practitioners are registered nurses that possess advanced education, skills, and experience. Each specialty nurse has defined scopes of practice with distinct sets of responsibilities, requirements, and skills. Each role represents distinct educational requirements and activities that contribute to the complex and diverse health care industry.

Advance practice registered nurse who provides care to patient through their life span from premature birth to the elderly , their focus is physical examination diagnose and treatment (ect)

The historic article by Safriet (1992) fully lists and analyzes the major challenges facing the advanced practice nurse (APN). At the time the article was written compared to now, a few aspects are changing. In areas where change has occurred, it has been an exceedingly slow process. Change for APNs is often dependent on legislation and regulatory authorities which receives half-hearted support, at best, from the medical establishment (Safriet, 1992). Since the first day nurses were given any authority to practice outside of regular practice, physicians only objected when it began to encroach upon their perceived hierarchal status or potential for compensation (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy, & O’Grady, 2014). The concern that this

The Advanced practice nursing began to take shape in the mid-20th century in United States. Nurse Anesthetists and nurse midwives were established in the 1940s, followed by psychiatric nursing in 1954. The present day concept of the APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) as a primary care provider was created in the mid- 1960s, spurred on by a shortage of medical doctors. The first official training for nurse practitioners was created by Henry Silver,a physician, and Loretta Ford, a nurse, in 1965, with a vision to help balance rising healthcare costs, increase the number of healthcare providers, and correct the inefficient distribution of health resource.

As the young and rapidly-aging population continues to increase, the demands of primary, acute and chronic disease management will also increase. As a result, more health care professionals who provide primary care will be needed to meet these demands. Thus, the emergence of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) evolve. APRN is a nurse who has completed a graduate degree and has acquired advanced knowledge and skills. APRNs are grounded with theory, concepts and principles that enable them to assess, diagnose, treat and manage their patients. APRNs can work in conjunction with other health care professionals or independently. APRNs improve access to health care by providing care in the rural and underserved areas. APRNs also reduce the cost to health care (Joel, 2013).

As the needs of the populace prompt greater numbers of advanced nurse practitioners, the role and scope of practice for these nurses have broadened and converged to form an inclusive definition that works to advance the whole of nursing practice. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), and the Advanced Practice Registered Nursing (APRN) consensus model, provide two definitions of the APN that showcase similarities and differences. Furthermore, the definition of the APN as presented in Advanced Practice Nursing: An Integrative Approach, by Hamric, Hansen, Tracy, & OGrady (2014), provides yet another consideration of what it means to be an APN. Each entity recognizes four specialties as part of advanced practice nursing: the nurse anesthetist, the nurse midwife, the nurse practitioner, and the clinical nurse specialist.

Advanced Practice Nurses are therefore identified as registered nurses who have acquired the expertise, excellent skills, and a base of knowledge level that allows them the capacity to make complex decisions (Hamric, et al, 2014). The skills requirement and clinical competencies in the practice might however differ from one place to another depending on historical and cultural setting in the country where the nurse is registered or

The role of the advanced practice nurse has grown and continues to evolve throughout the years. As the advanced practice nurse (APN) takes on larger roles in healthcare, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (2016) has developed a consensus model in order to unify the APN’s role across the United States. This discussion will review barriers the healthcare consensus model is trying to reduce, and the implementation of the consensus model in Arkansas.

In order to be classified as an Advanced Practice Nurse, one must attain either a Master's or Doctoral degree in the field of clinical nursing. There are four types of Advanced Care Nurses: Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Clinical Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Nurse Practitioner (NP), and Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM). Each niche of the Advanced Practice Nursing industry requires targeted qualification and training to assure that CNSs, CRNAs, NPs, and CNMs are capable of delivering the specialized care and treatment their position entails. The educational preparation involved in becoming an Advanced Practice Nurse is as follows:

For current and future needs we need to enable all healthcare professionals especially nurses to practice to the full level of their education and training. Advanced practice nurses can fulfill the primary care needs. This will free up physicians to address more complex cases which needs their expertise. Current practice focus on specialty and acute care only and a shift in practice to deliver more primary care and community care services is essential to improve the quality of nursing care and address the growing need of care in these areas.

The educational requirement for advanced nursing practice is a master’s level education in a program or track leading to APN licensure, including graduate degree-granting and post-graduate certificate programs with established educational standards and attainment of the APN core, role core and population core competencies (National Council of State Boards, 2012). APN’s acquire increased knowledge in the sciences of anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. The core curriculum for the advanced practice role includes priorities in

The role of Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) has changed dramatically in recent years. Currently, the Unite States (U.S.) health care is focusing on delivering a cost -effective health care to all patients. In the last decades, there were many efforts to control health care over spending in the U.S. One of such efforts is to focus on applying proven principles of evidence-based practice and cost-effectiveness to find the least expensive way to produce a specific clinical service of acceptable quality (Bauer, 2010). The vast changes in health care system, such as cost, need for high productivity, limitation on reimbursement, and the inadequacy on access have made APNs to think in a way where they most fit to provide independent care for