Week 1 Project Distinguish between Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP) and the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)

Sample Answer

Advanced practice nursing (APN) has surfaced globally due to the need for better nursing care and patient outcomes, enhanced access to care, reduced wait times, and reducing health care costs. The roles associated with APNs have expanded, including the scope of practice, with APN roles being appreciated and a fundamental part of health care (Lopes-Júnior, 2021).

The purpose of this paper is to differentiate advanced nursing practice from APN and discuss the four APN roles.

Advanced Nursing Practice and Advanced Practice Nurse. Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP) is primarily concerned with advancing the nurse’s knowledge, skills, and role past the traditional professional boundaries.

ANP is defined with regard to certain skills, knowledge, and competencies that surpass those typically expected from a nursing role but must be attained before a nurse can refer their practice to as advanced (Lopes-Júnior, 2021).

On the other hand, advanced practice nurse (APN) is a professional designation for Registered Nurses (RNs) with advanced training in a clinical specialization (Lopes-Júnior, 2021). APN s a less formal title for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) and indicates that the RN has completed a master’s or post-graduate program.

Advance Nursing Practice and Roles in Advanced Practice Nursing. Advanced nursing practice extends and expands the boundaries of the scope of nursing practice. Nurses with advanced nursing practice (ANP) or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) designations usually have completed a master’s or doctorate that enables them to practice higher-level nursing roles (Hu & Forgeron, 2018). ANP titles enable nurses to be more autonomous and versatile in their practice and patient care.

There are four roles given the designation of APRN certified nurse practitioner (CNP), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and certified nurse-midwife (CNM). The CNP provides direct primary and acute care across the lifespan and healthcare settings (Hu & Forgeron, 2018). They are trained to provide initial, continuous, and comprehensive care by diagnosing and treating patients with undifferentiated symptoms and established diagnoses.

CNSs are trained to take roles like patient education, consultation, and supervising nurses in the clinical setting. They have a unique role in integrating care across the continuum and facilitating continuous improvement of nursing care and patient outcomes.

In addition, CNS roles include diagnosis and treatment, disease management, health promotion, disease prevention, and risky lifestyle practices among clients, families, and communities (Fukuda et al., 2020).

The CRNA is trained to provide anesthesia and anesthesia-related care for patients across the lifespan. CRNAs work in surgical settings to provide anesthesia services during surgical procedures. CNMs are trained to offer a wide range of primary healthcare services to women throughout their lifespan (Hu & Forgeron, 2018). They provide family planning services, gynecologic care, preconception care, prenatal and postpartum care, childbirth, and newborn care.

Intended APN

I am currently enrolled in the MSN-FNP program at South University and will, in the future, be a CNP under the Family NP specialty. An FNP has specialized training to provide care to patients across the lifespan. FNPs focus on diagnosis, treatment, disease management, and health prevention (Lopes-Júnior, 2021). Pursuing the FNP program was influenced by my working experience as an RN.

I previously worked as a med-Surg Tele Nurse and a pediatric nurse at a Home Care Pediatric Nursing Agency. Furthermore, I have worked with geriatrics and as a Case Manager for a Home Health Agency. Thus, I have experience providing care to all age groups, which led me to pursue an FNP program. My philosophy is that nurses should endeavor to provide high-quality care to patients as well as continuously improve their knowledge and skills to provide the best patient care possible.

• Interview
  
• Interviewee Rebecca Laurie
  
• Credentials Geriatric Nurse Practitioner (GNP)
  
• Position Telemedicine provider
  
• Planned interview date Thursday, July 28th, 2022
  

Questions

• Do you hold a clinical or non-clinical role?
• During your transition from RN to GNP did you experience any role confusion
• After completing your graduate level education do you feel that you were prepared for the role of GNP?
• Why did you choose GNP appose to the other specialty areas?
• What challenges do you encounter as a prescriber?
• Why do you choose that population or area to serve?
• How do you cope with the stressors from your role?
• What do you do to ensure that you do not misdiagnose a patient who present with signs and symptoms relating to other illness like diabetes mellitus and Insipidus?
• Do you feel that you have the support of the physicians for your patient care plans?
• What advice would you give to a RN considering advancing to the role of GNP?

Conclusion

Advanced Nursing Practice promotes nursing knowledge and the advancement of the nursing profession, while an APN is a nurse with advanced training in a clinical specialization. The four APN roles include CNP, CNRA, CNS, and CNM. All the APRNs have unique roles and practice higher-level nursing roles owing to their specialized training.

References

• Fukuda, T., Sakurai, H., & Kashiwagi, M. (2020). Impact of having a certified nurse specialist in critical care nursing as head nurse on ICU patient outcomes. PloS one, 15(2), e0228458. https //doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228458
  
• Hu, J., & Forgeron, P. (2018). Thinking, educating, acting Developing advanced practice nursing. International journal of nursing sciences, 5(2), 99–100. https //doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2018.04.006
  
• Lopes-Júnior, L. C. (2021). Advanced Practice Nursing and the Expansion of the Role of Nurses in Primary Health Care in the Americas. SAGE open nursing, 7, 23779608211019491. https //doi.org/10.1177/23779608211019491