Preparing advanced practice nurses for acute care

1994 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Clochesy ◽  
BJ Daly ◽  
BK Idemoto ◽  
J Steel ◽  
JJ Fitzpatrick
Keyword(s):  
Acute Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Acute Care Hospital ◽  
Advanced Practice Nurses ◽  
Hospital Environment ◽  
Advanced Practice ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Practice Nurses

BACKGROUND: As a result of changes occurring in healthcare, providers have become increasingly specialized, resulting in fragmented care of patients and their families. With these changes, the need has developed for professionals who possess both advanced clinical decision-making ability and expanded psychomotor skills to serve as case managers in collaboration with physicians. As a result, evolving and innovative roles for advanced practice nurses have developed in American hospitals. The development of such roles, within the acute care hospital environment, has led directly to the creation of graduate programs to prepare acute care nurse practitioners. OBJECTIVE: This article describes the efforts to develop a specific graduate program to prepare nurses as acute care nurse practitioners. These efforts include the needs assessment, curriculum and role development, implementation, and evaluation of the program. RESULTS: Phase 1 evaluation showed significant support for acute care nurse practitioners. External support for the training and use of nurse practitioners in acute care was evidenced by significant financial support for this program provided by an acute care hospital and a private foundation. The first graduates are now practicing as acute care nurse practitioners; Phase 2 evaluation of patient outcomes is under way. CONCLUSION: The emergence of acute care nurse practitioners has been stimulated by changes in American healthcare. Support for the use of acute care nurse practitioners is significant, but barriers to implementing the role and patient and fiscal outcomes must be studied.

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practice: Results of a 5-Year Longitudinal Study

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth M. Kleinpell
Keyword(s):  
Acute Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Nurse Practitioner ◽  
Advanced Practice Nurses ◽  
Advanced Practice Nursing ◽  
Advanced Practice ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Practice Nurses ◽  
National Certification

The role of acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) has developed in capacity. More than 3500 advanced practice nurses have been certified as ACNPs, and the number of practice settings where these professionals work is continually expanding. Beginning in 1996, a series of surveys were conducted of nurse practitioners seeking national certification as ACNPs. What started as an attempt to gather information on the role of ACNPs evolved into a national 5-year longitudinal survey of ACNP practice. The cumulative results of the project are reported, and how the role of the ACNP was established in advanced practice nursing is discussed.

Activities Performed by Acute and Critical Care Advanced Practice Nurses: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Study of Practice

2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Becker ◽  
Roberta Kaplow ◽  
Patricia M. Muenzen ◽  
Carol Hartigan
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Clinical Judgment ◽  
American Association ◽  
Critical Care Nurses ◽  
Advanced Practice ◽  
Clinical Nurse ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Clinical Nurse Specialists

• Background Accreditation standards for certification programs require use of a testing mechanism that is job-related and based on the knowledge and skills needed to function in the discipline. • Objectives To describe critical care advanced practice by revising descriptors to encompass the work of both acute care nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists and to explore differences in the practice of clinical nurse specialists and acute care nurse practitioners. • Methods A national task force of subject matter experts was appointed to create a comprehensive delineation of the work of critical care nurses. A survey was designed to collect validation data on 65 advanced practice activities, organized by the 8 nurse competencies of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Synergy Model for Patient Care, and an experience inventory. Activities were rated on how critical they were to optimizing patients’ outcomes, how often they were performed, and toward which sphere of influence they were directed. How much time nurses devoted to specific care problems was analyzed. Frequency ratings were compared between clinical nurse specialists and acute care nurse practitioners. • Results Both groups of nurses encountered all items on the experience inventory. Clinical nurse specialists were more experienced than acute care nurse practitioners. The largest difference was that clinical nurse specialists rated as more critical activities involving clinical judgment and clinical inquiry whereas acute care nurse practitioners focused primarily on clinical judgment. • Conclusions Certification initiatives should reflect differences between clinical nurse specialists and acute care nurse practitioners.

A collaborative program for advanced practice in trauma/critical care nursing

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Keough ◽  
J Jennrich ◽  
K Holm ◽  
W Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Nurse Practitioner ◽  
Practice Nurse ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Advanced Practice ◽  
Advanced Practice Nurse ◽  
Care Nurse

The students and faculty enrolled in the first TNP class have set a standard for future TNPs: a rigorous course of education with advanced practice and scholarship within an advanced practice collaborative model. Because of the increasingly number of trauma victims and the highly specialized care they require, nurses must come forward and provide quality care. The TNPs and their faculty must promote further recognition of the TNP role, become leaders in the field of acute care, and continue to develop and maintain collaborative relationship with physicians in support of advanced practice nursing in many areas of tertiary care. The first three graduates of the trauma/critical care practitioner class are now employed in advanced practice roles and are applying their education within trauma/critical care settings. Two of the students are trauma nurse practitioners in a community hospital, and one is a critical care nurse practitioner in a university hospital. Currently, there is an acute care nurse practitioner certification examination that is appropriate for nurses in the field of trauma/critical care. Co-sponsored by the AACN Certification Corporation and the American Nurses Credentialing Center, this examination is offered twice a year, in June and October. AACN is active in supporting and promoting the TNP role and, in conjunction with the American Nurses Association, has developed new standards of care and scope of practice to include this expanded role for the advanced practice nurse. The future for this exciting and demanding role looks bright for the advanced practice nurse interested in the care of the acutely ill patient. The time is right for this collaboration between nurses and physicians.

Blending Specialist and Practitioner Roles in Psychiatric Nursing: Experiences of Graduates

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 136-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Scharer ◽  
Mary Boyd ◽  
Carol A. Williams ◽  
Kathleen Head
Keyword(s):  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Advanced Practice Nurses ◽  
Advanced Practice Nursing ◽  
Advanced Practice ◽  
Practice Nurses ◽  
Master Of Science ◽  
Clinical Specialist ◽  
Primary Care Patients ◽  
Adult Nurse Practitioner

BACKGROUND: Blended roles in advanced practice nursing have generated much discussion but little study. As role modifications emerge in nursing, there is a need to explore their implementation. OBJECTIVE: This descriptive study examined the experiences of nurses who were implementing blended roles as psychiatric clinical specialists and adult nurse practitioners. DESIGN: Four master of science in nursing and 10 postmasters nurses who had been practicing in blended roles for 1 to 2 years were interviewed about their experiences in implementing their roles. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed, and content analyzed. RESULTS: Respondents believed they were practicing holistically, were able to appropriately integrate physical and psychological care of the patient, and found chronic psychiatric patients to have more complex physical illnesses than they had anticipated. In addition, the advanced practice nurses were satisfied with their roles, felt supported by their physician preceptors, and described cross-consultation with physicians and nonpsychiatric nurse practitioners. CONCLUSIONS: There are roles for advanced practice nurses who blend clinical specialist and adult nurse practitioner skills in the care of psychiatric and primary care patients.

The Use of Advanced Practice Nurses in the Acute Care Setting

Nurse Leader ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Trepanier ◽  
Patricia Duran ◽  
Linda Lawson
Keyword(s):  
Acute Care ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Advanced Practice Nurses ◽  
Advanced Practice ◽  
Acute Care Setting ◽  
Practice Nurses

Acute Care Nurse Practitioners in Transplantation: Adding Value to Your Program

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 278-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janel Tedesco
Keyword(s):  
Acute Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Certification Examination ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Effective Care ◽  
Shortage Of Physicians ◽  
The 1960S

Nurse practitioners are nurses who are prepared at the graduate level. They exercise autonomy in clinical decision making, perform physical examinations and obtain health histories, diagnose and treat a variety of illnesses, provide education and counseling to patients, perform procedures, and ultimately provide cost-effective care. The role of the nurse practitioner evolved in the 1960s, when nurse practitioners filled a void in response to the nationwide shortage of physicians. Today, nurse practitioners specialize both by degree and by certification examination. There are several types of nurse practitioners, including acute care, adult, family practice, and pediatric. The incorporation of acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) in transplant programs is an emerging field and varies across the country from center to center. The goals of this article are to (1) identify implications for ACNPs in transplant, (2) discuss the value of using ACNPs in practice, and (3) explore billing and regulatory aspects of ACNPs in transplant programs.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document