Title: Roles in Advanced Practice Nursing

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Roles in Advanced Practice Nursing

For one to become and advanced practice nurse (APN), it is a requirement to have a master’s degree education as an increment of one’s ability to diagnose and attend to various patient disorders.  In this paper I intend to evaluate the various roles of APNs, educational requirements and the work setting appropriate for each role. In most cases, advancing from a registered nurse (RN) to a certified nurse practitioner (CNP) may be an exciting and complex process. However, based on skills and experienced gained by RNs at the initial stages of CNPs seems to be a significant change. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the four main roles of APNs and identify the specific role that I intend to pursue in my career. Moreover, I will also provide reasons for my choice of the CNP track with rationale, plan for the clinical practice and the transition role from Bachelor of Science in nursing to CNP

Four APN Roles

In this section, I will discuss the four basic APN roles, educational requirements and work environment appropriate to each of the APN roles. The different APN roles include: certified nurse practitioner (CNP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), and certified nurse midwife (CNM). The main reason why most of the registered nurses (RNs) upgrade their careers and education is to gain more freedom in their work environments. Since the establishment of the Affordable Care Act, the need and practice requirements for RNs increased significantly (Brusie, 2019). 

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Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP)

The educational requirement for CNPs is a master’s degree. CNPS are tasked with the role of treating various chronic and acute disorders in their different fields of practice. Their roles start with patients’ historical assessment and then provision of comprehensive care to patients. CNPs tend to consume a lot of their ample time evaluating, educating, diagnosing, treating and providing support services to patients and families. However, their practice offers them increased freedom which enables them to be independent in practice. Moreover, CNPs are allowed to establish their own clinics, order tests and administer medications. They also develop health promotion initiatives, educate and offer prevention measures in various fields of practice. The educational development for CNPs starts at various stages, but an associate degree in nursing is a fundamental requirement. In addition to a degree in nursing, CNPs are required to have an active practice license, clinical knowledge and experience and a specific GPA level. Based on the starting level of a nursing student, a CNP program takes at least two years. Nursing students are required to successfully pass in all CNP programs before sitting for a CNP licensure test. During the process of NP role transition, various personal and external tenets such as expertise and formal orientation are considered for successful transition. CNPs operate in clinics, hospitals, companies and schools where a vacancy for CNP is available (Barnes, 2015).

Certified nurse specialist (CNS)

CNSs are graduate level nurses who are later certified to practice in a particular field. The choice of specialty is an indication that a CNS has a high level of skills and expertise in a given field. The major roles of CNS are to prescribe and administer medications after receiving a license in this field, but it is not a necessity for them to practice. The core focus of CNS is to educate patients and families, consult and research. A master’s degree in APRN is a fundamental educational requirement for CNS which basically starts with a nursing program like BSN or ASN.  After completion of ASN or BSN programs, CNS are required to undertake a licensure test to start practicing. The starting point of a nurse student determines the time spent before gaining a masters level degree. CNS programs are either online or classroom-based as an attempt to help working learners to further their education. CNS works in different environments to provide quality outcomes for specific patients and community, support and provide mentorship to junior nurses and developing innovative transformations meant to ensure that healthcare systems are innovative in attaining the needs of clients, families, communities and populations (Foster & Flanders, 2014).

Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA)

CRNA is a nurse with a master’s degree and who works c