An advanced practice nurse (APN) provides preventative care, treatment, and management of acute and chronic illnesses using advanced clinical skills, diagnostic reasoning, and advanced therapeutic interventions. They are astute at combining education, research, management, leadership, and consultation to provide individualized patient care.
Typically, an APN is a registered nurse who has met advanced educational and clinical practice requirements. After obtaining an undergraduate RN education, nurses pursue their APN at the graduate level (master’s degree or a doctorate). They study everything from advanced health assessment, physiology and advanced pathophysiology to pharmacology, advanced therapeutics and specialty preparation, research methodology and utilization.
There are four types of APNs:
- Clinical nurse specialists,
- Nurse practitioners,
- Certified nurse midwives,
- Certified registered nurse anesthetists.
An APN can diagnose patients and design treatment and health management plans by collaborating with the patient and other health care professionals as needed. He or she can prescribe medications, provide education and counseling, and refer patients to other healthcare professionals.
Sources:The Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse The Association of Rheumatology. June 2008.
