The Role of Advanced Nurse Practitioners
An advanced nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has gone through higher education program and training in a particular area medical field such as pediatrics or psychiatry. The nurse practitioner should have a Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN) and certification by the board to practice in their specialty. The biggest difference between the advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) and ordinary Registered Nurses (RN) is that they have a higher level of autonomy. A BSN degree qualifies a nurse to provide care in critical care settings or work in leadership positions serving in administration or management.
Training for Advanced Nurse Practitioners
MSN programs take two to three years and the qualification to join is to have a valid BSN degree. Some accept holders of any health related bachelor's degree. Some will accept any other bachelor's degree.
The focus of MSN programs are tailored to train nurses for roles in particular areas such as these below:
- Nursing administration
- Clinical nurse leader
- Clinical nurse educator
The coursework prepares trainees for the roles by training them on the following:
- Nursing theory
- Social and physical sciences
- Management
- clinical practice
- Research
General Role of Advanced Nurse Practitioners
The general role of an ANP is to focus on holistic and preventative care. They offer personalized attention and treatment to patients according to their individual needs. Since nurses MSN training takes place within a particular specialized area, nurses can earn some degree of specialized expertise in addition to their regular duties. For instance, medical treatment and care to various patients under the supervision of doctors is the norm for RNs. Nevertheless, after earning an MSN degree, a nurse can start honing in on a particular aspect of the nursing knowledge.
Whereas regular nurse usually does some bit of everything, an advanced nurse practitioner with MSN has extensive knowledge in regards to specialized nursing area. A nurse who has interest in women health can specialize in nurse midwifery.
Described Role of Advanced Nurse Practitioners
The original description for nurse practitioners was to act an extension of doctors mainly working to improve the health of children. Their role is now broader since they focus on different specialties including adult care, family care, and women health nursing. A nurse practitioner should be someone who thrives in an environment that requires extensive care to patients. Their role includes solving complex problems and offering compassion to their patients.
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Within their jobs, the role of advanced nurse practitioners can vary widely depending on the area of specialty. However, most of them perform these tasks:
- Diagnosis by conducting and ordering diagnostic tests on behalf of the patient.
- Record symptoms, diagnosis and medical history of a patient
- Treat infections, illnesses, and injuries.
- Write prescriptions for certain medications including dosage and frequency.
- Engage patients in a discussion on how to effectively manage their health.
- Assist in designing of appropriate treatment plans and recommend further care.
- Provide care and guidance to patients taking medication. It includes informing them about the side effects of specific medications and possible interactions with the drug to patients who are under prescription.
Management Role of Advanced Nurse Practitioners
MSN degree training enables nurses to learn about the business side of the occupation. It gives necessary skills to nurses who have an interest in making more impact on the field of nursing and health care industry. Part of the MSN training is on the business side of a career. Trainees learn about finance, policies, leadership, and management. A nurse who decides on this route will also need to take a joint course alongside MSN to learn about business and administration in the area of nursing specialization.
Because of the further training for ANPs, they are a vital link between nursing and medical teams. Their higher level of knowledge and familiarity with the hospital settings makes them an information resource for staff members of all grades.
