Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)
What is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)?
APRNs are registered nurses with master’s or doctorate degrees. They have advanced education and training beyond registered nurses, allowing them to extend the scope of their practice beyond traditional nursing duties.
Nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse midwives can all be APRNs if they obtain the necessary schooling. The various APRN roles may have different requirements for clinical training hours and competency-based requirements, which may also vary by state.
Some of the tasks which APRNs complete include:
- Obtain health histories and perform physical exams
- Develop diagnoses
- Order and interpret lab results
- Maintain patient records
- Develop/order therapeutic plans of care
- Arrange for patient referrals/consultation
- Evaluate the patient’s response to treatment and modify as needed
How do APRNs improve healthcare?
APRNs treat and diagnose illnesses, manage chronic diseases, advise the public on health issues, and engage in continuous education to remain on top of healthcare advances and developments. They are trained to provide healthcare using evidence-based practice, and their years of experience only serve to improve their patients’ health outcomes.