NSG 4068 Week 5 Project – The Nurse as Advocate Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP) and Advanced Practice Nurse (APN).

NSG 4068 Week 5 Project – The Nurse as Advocate

The nursing role has continued to evolve over the years, and the scope of practice has also expanded over time. Primary care has continued to be offered in a manner that is effective and that minimizes health inequalities in the community. Registered nurses now have an opportunity to offer their services in more advanced and autonomous roles. The healthcare setting has continued to demand more advanced practice nurses, and this has been informed by the collaborative and integrative initiatives being championed aimed at offering quality and effective care to patients. In the US healthcare industry, there are about 3 million registered nurses. Unlike doctors who usually specialize in one area, nurses coordinate the care of all aspects of a patient’s overall health.

Advanced Nurse Practitioners are highly experienced and educated members of the care team whose responsibilities include examining, assessing, diagnosing, treating, and prescribing medications to patients’ healthcare needs or referring the patient to an appropriate specialist if needed. Advanced practice nurses, on the other hand, are the most highly trained of all the registered nurses. They hold either a master’s degree or a doctorate in nursing. APNs usually perform roles that were previously reserved for doctors. They can, therefore, diagnose, order, and interpret lab tests, give anesthesia, and prescribe medications to patients. APNs comprise several specialist fields. To become an APN, students must ensure that they obtain an advanced degree from a certified nursing program. The next step involves passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. For APNs, there are four areas of specialization, which include Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CNM), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) (Brykczynski, 2018). Although each APN performs their specific roles, their duties tend to overlap in some areas.

Family nurse practitioner (FNP)

All over the world, nurses have gained more autonomy over the period, and the roles they practice have gradually branched out to various types of specialties. Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are one of the specialized roles. The advanced role that I am aspiring to practice is family nurse practitioner. In my role, I will be playing a crucial role in serving both individuals and families for longer periods of time. I believe this is a great role and a great specialization opportunity, as it will give me an opportunity to continue developing long-term relationships with my patients. FNPs usually collaborate with the rest of the healthcare providers in order to provide family-focused care. Some of the healthcare services provided by the FNPs include direct care, disease promotion counseling services, and health promotion (Schober, 2018).

As an FNP, it is possible for one to serve as an administrator and a policymaker. This choice of me practicing as a family nurse practitioner is inspired by the compassion I have for my community to achieve better health standards status. This role will accord me the opportunity to handle the chronic health problems and complex health challenges that my people are going through, such as diabetes and cardiac health issues. Most of these health issues are associated with lifestyles, and hence, they can be prevented if proper patient education and prevention measures are provided to the population. It is important to note that working with a population for longer improves the impact and helps in modifying health behaviors and patterns.