Purpose: Comment the Discussion

Thing to Remember:

•   Answer this discussion with opinions/ideas creatively and clearly. Supports post using several outside, peer-reviewed sources.

•   1 References, find resources that are 5 years or less

•   No errors with APA format 6 Edition

Discussion: (Topic: NP and APN Roles Comparison)

Nurse practitioners are nurses with a master’s level education. They are considered expert clinicians that are able to diagnose, treat and prescribe medications while promoting the prevention of disease and health management. Advanced practice nurse is a blanket term and according to Hamric, Hanson, Tracy & O’Grady, (2014) “advanced practice nursing is often defined as a constellation of four roles the NP, CNS, CNM and CRNA” (p.70). The qualifications to be considered an APN are having attended graduate school, obtaining certifications and direct patient care. Certifications test aptitude and the term specialized encompasses expanding your knowledge base and skills in a particular area within the art of nursing. The credentialing is what separates specialty nursing from advanced nursing practice. This makes them specialized in areas like emergency medicine, trauma and pediatrics just to name a few. Licensure and its requirements vary from state to state and advanced practice nurses are governed the by the nurse practice act of each state providing licensure (Kim, 2015).

There are two major difference between a nurse practitioner (NP) and a physician assistant (PA) and that is the education requirements and that a PA must work under the supervision of a physician. The ability for an NP to practice on their own varies from state to state some states allow autonomy while others do not. The NP curriculum is based on nursing conceptual models (Intrator, Miller, Gadbois, Acquah, Makineni & Tyler, 2015) and the PA’s are based on medical models. The PA qualifies through general medical exams and NP’s qualify through population specific examinations such as geriatrics or pediatrics. The similarities between the two are the ability to provide primary care by diagnosing and prescribing. The beauty if being a nurse practitioner is the ability to nursing allows one to build upon previous knowledge. I myself began as a licensed practical nurse have successfully moved across the continuum and hope to receive a master’s degree within the next two years.

Reference:

Hamric, A. B., Hanson, C. M., Tracy, M. F., O’Grady, E. T. (2014). Advanced Practice Nursing: An Integrative Approach, 5th Edition. St. Louis, MO: Saunders.

Intrator, O., Miller, E. A., Gadbois, E., Acquah, J. K., Makineni, R., & Tyler, D. (2015). Trends in nurse practitioner and physician assistant practice in nursing homes, 2000-2010. Health Services Research, (6). 1772. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.12410.

Kim, H. S. (2015). The Essence of Nursing Practice: Philosophy and Perspective. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.