The roles that advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) play in the clinical field have been expanding with time since the first graduates of masters in nursing started working in the mid 20th century (DeNisco & Barker, 2013). Over the last three decades, the advanced nursing practice has assumed an increasing role in the American healthcare system, especially in populations that are considered to be underserved within the national healthcare system. Noteworthy, APRN field involves an active application of advanced education, skills, experience, knowledge and scope in the nursing practice. Within this context, the major areas of specialization offered include nurse practitioners, midwives, anesthetics and clinical specialists. Although the four areas are general and significantly important in the modern nursing practice, I am interested in pursuing a master’s degree in nursing practitioner (NP).
Roles of Advanced nursing practitioners
Several studies have shown that patient outcomes in cases where advanced nursing practitioners provide patient care in collaboration with clinicians and/or physicians are better in some ways than the outcomes of cases where only the physicians are involved in care provision (Newhouse, Stanik-Hutt, White, Johantgen, et al., 2011). This indicates that the roles that advanced nurses play in the healthcare system are vital to the process of providing effective care to the population. Therefore, it is worth reviewing some of these roles and their importance in the healthcare system.
Within the healthcare sector, NPs are APRNs who have completed both clinical and advanced didactic education beyond the scope required for general nurses. The NP nurses acquire knowledge base and a number of skills such as decision-making and clinical competency in order to expand their roles beyond that of the general nurses (American association of colleges of nursing, 2007). As such, these roles include management of both chronic and acute health problems through consultation with the patients, taking of patient medical history and physical examination. In addition, it is worth noting that at this level, nurses are allowed to order diagnostic tests and make treatments, including prescribing medications and making referrals where the medical conditions require advanced interventions.
It is clear that nurses at this level serve as the principal care provider for the patients, regardless of the patient ages. In addition, the nurses at this level are similar to physicians in that there are specializations such as in adult care, pediatrics, family care and geriatrics. It is also worth noting that in the modern context, course in APRN allows individual nurses to specialize in more advanced medical fields such as cardiology, oncology, dermatology and gynecology.
Reasons for taking a degree in advanced nursing (NP option)
Therefore, it is evident that the modern philosophy of nursing is similar to the philosophy of other medical fields such as medicine. For instance, like modern medicine, the principle of APRN is to provide individualized or customized care with a clear focus on the specific issues and problems affecting each patient and the impact of the problem on the individual as well as their families (Fairman, Rowe, Hassmiller & Shalala, 2011). Nevertheless, the nurses at this level must still act as nurses, which require them to focus on providing holistic care and spend more time with patients than other specialists.
I am seeking to take my masters in Advanced NP because I had a strong background in nursing. I have a lot of experience in dealing with patients with different clinical problems. In my career, I have developed an interest in dealing with patients with chronic and acute diseases, including terminal illnesses. In addition, I expect to deal with my patient’s families in order to help them develop better ways of providing support to the patients.
How the degree will improve my career in nursing
I have noted the need to increase the number of advanced nurses dealing with these patients, given the rising prevalence of cancer in modern society.
I believe that this degree will have a profound impact on my career. In particular, I expect to develop skills and knowledge in dealing with patients with cancer as well as their families. For instance, I want to acquire skills in cancer management, including diagnosis, treatment and prescriptions.
References
American association of colleges of nursing. (2007). White paper on the education and role of the clinical nurse leader. Web.
DeNisco, S. M., & Barker, A. M. (2013). Advanced practice nursing: Evolving roles for the transformation of the profession. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning
Fairman, J. A., Rowe, J. W., Hassmiller, S., & Shalala, D. E. (2011). Broadening the scope of nursing practice. The New England Journal of Medicine, 364, 193-196.
Newhouse, R. P., Stanik-Hutt, J., White, K. M., Johantgen, M., et al. (2011). Advanced practice nurse outcomes 1990-2008: A systematic review. Nursing Economics, 29(5), 230-50.