In what ways can an APRN distinguish their role from other nursing roles and medical counterparts and why is this important? The APRN is the highest trained nurses, both by education and usually by clinical experience and skill (upon graduation). APRNs require at least a Master of Science in Nursing, while there is a transition to mandate a Doctor of Nursing degree as well to receive the APRN certification. According to Flanagan et al. (2018), the effectiveness of APRN practice is comparable and sometimes exceeds that of a medical doctor. Some key components of that APRN roles are holistic patient care, support and advocacy within the healthcare system, monitoring the quality of care, education, research, and leadership, among others (p. 391). These are aspects that other nursing roles can only fulfill in limited capacity if at all. The importance of distinguishing the APRN role from others is critical to establish their autonomy and specialization as medical professionals. Their preparation and capabilities allow for APRNs to take on more volume and specialty of responsibility rather than just fulfilling remedial tasks that could be done by RN and CSN.
Two specific ways that APRNs can distinguish their roles are through leadership and ensuring the quality of care. As the most trained and senior-level nurses, APRNs are encouraged and expected to take on leadership roles and official positions. Woo et al. (2017) determine that APRNs in critical settings can add significant value and increase access to healthcare by “strengthening the healthcare workforce” (p. 20). APRNs have the capacity to manage teams and care, such as for example the involvement of advanced nurses in critical care, provided leadership and a consistent point of contact for multidisciplinary team. Woo et al. (2017) find this leads to better quality and outcomes of care because better coordination, efficiency, communication, and patient satisfaction were shown. As a result, indicators of care quality generally increase across the board. Nurses of lower specializations or other medical staff rarely can provide such universal and comprehensive value to patient care.
References
Flanagan, J.M., Harris, A., & Jones, D.A. (2018). Advanced practice registered nurses: Accomplishments, trends, and future development. In L.A. Joel (ed.), Advanced practice nursing (4th ed.), pp. 387-394. F.A. Davis Company.
Woo, B. F. Y., Lee, J. X. Y., & Tam, W. W. S. (2017). The impact of the advanced practice nursing role on quality of care, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and cost in the emergency and critical care settings: A systematic review. Human Resources for Health, 15(1), 1–22.