Advanced practice nurse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Advanced Practice Nurses (APN), also known as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), are Registered Nurses with advanced education, knowledge, skills, and scope of practice. Most APNs possess a master's or doctoral degree in nursing and may also sit for additional certification examinations.
APNs may function as a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Nurse Practitioner (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). They perform primary health care, provide mental health services, diagnose, prescribe, carry out Nursing research, and educate the public and other professionals. Some APNs diagnose illness and prescribe medication. Nurse Practitioners also specialize mainly in primary care services at this time.
All advanced practice credentials have requirements such as continuing education and periodic re-examination to maintain the credential.
Advanced practice nurses can expect to earn above-average salaries, especially as the population ages and the demand for highly skilled healthcare workers grows proportionally.
