To become an advanced practice nurse, one must have an extensive educational background. Schober et al. (2020) state that an APN must complete a full specialized bachelor’s and master’s degree program, with additional certification programs being a beneficial addition to one’s competence evaluation. As the role of the APN is one of the highest nursing positions, it requires the nurse to have a substantial scope of practice, which will indicate the level of their experience and liability.
In the American healthcare system exists four main advanced practice nursing roles: primary care nursing practitioner (NP), clinical nurse specialist (CNP), certified nurse-midwife (CNM), and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). Clinical nurse specialist deals with direct care for the consumers, certified nurse-midwife provides gynecological treatments for female patients of all ages, and certified registered nurse anesthetist delivers sedation and pain regulators (Schober et al., 2020). These professionals provide treatments in a specific sphere of medical treatment, making them rather narrowly specialized.
A primary care nursing practitioner, on the other hand, has a very wide scope of practice. NPs may work in various healthcare departments, providing healthcare to a wide range of patients, regardless of age or gender (Schober et al., 2020). Such versatility makes nursing practitioners a universal and necessary professional for any healthcare provider. I think NPs must convey this information to the said provider during a recruiting interview so that the institution’s administration clearly understands the primary care nursing practitioner’s work specifics. NP’s responsibilities include analyzing laboratory tests, conducting physical examinations, diagnosing patients, prescribing treatments, and executing other medical procedures (Schober et al., 2020). In my opinion, this difference must be properly explained to consumers by administrations of the medical institutions via educational posters and specific instructions from the staff so that patients can receive suitable treatments and diagnoses.
However, there are some similarities between different advanced practice nursing roles. All roles require the same amount of education and training, except while CNPs, CNMs, and CRNAs acquire their skills in a particular medical field, NPs get a general healthcare education. This does not mean NPs are less experienced or professional than other APNs. In fact, Htay and Whitehead (2021) state that APNs provide high-quality treatments on the same level as doctors, leading to higher consumer satisfaction rates and creating positive images for APNs’ respectful institutions. In addition, all APNs can diagnose and educate their patients, provide the needed medical procedures and treatments, and carry out necessary administrative duties (Schober et al., 2020). Thus, regardless of professional differences due to contrasting fields of practice, APN professionals operate on an equal level, providing sufficient healthcare to their patients.
To conclude, it is important for consumers and healthcare providers to understand the key differences between APN roles. This way, they can recruit and refer to a professional most suitable for their specific situation. Clear explanations from the APNs themselves as well as from a medical institution to patients will help to communicate the roles to both providers and consumers.
Htay, M., & Whitehead, D. (2021). The effectiveness of the role of advanced nurse practitioners compared to physician-led or usual care: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 3, 100034.
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