Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are those nurses who obtained a master’s degree or advanced training. These healthcare professionals are often able to work in a clinical patient care setting with a high degree of independence and responsibility for the patient care within the healthcare system (NCSBN, n. d.).
According to Bryant-Lukosius et al. (2016), “internationally, there is a high demand for advanced practice nursing (APN) roles to address unmet population health needs and improve the quality, efficiency, and sustainability of healthcare services” (p. 202). The importance of providing high-quality patient care, evidence-based practice, new technologies, and nursing informatics influence the APN’s role in the clinical settings (NCSBN, n. d.). Therefore, it is vital to analyze these concepts, identify how they impact the function of APN, and determine two strategies for transition to APN.
Primarily, the significance of patient care, on-going collaboration with the interdisciplinary teams, advocating for the patient, and educating them for long-term positive outcomes are among the pivotal duties of APNs. Additionally, one necessitates staying up-to-date on the evidence-based practice to ensure adequate health care provision (Bryant‐Lukosius et al., 2016). Taking into account approved information helps one to deliver the most efficient care services. Moreover, educating patients to provide their own safety guarantees better health awareness. Therefore, the nurse becomes affected by two main reasons: it allows for empowerment and advancement within the community and broadens the scope of nursing activity. These basic directions present an excellent chance for a nurse to develop as a professional.
Second, it is crucial to stay up-to-date on the evidence-based practice since timely and effectively translating research findings into practice and optimizing the nurses’ contribution to this process are still challenging. Yet, active nurses’ participation in medical scholarship is a significant contribution to the advancement of the nursing profession and the improvement of patient outcomes (Carter et al., 2017). Advanced practice nurses may generate new knowledge and implement them in clinical settings due to the fact that most of them have a master’s degree and contribute to better patient safety, disease prevention, and other areas of interest.
To sustain the continuum of clinical scholarships, nurses should understand their critical role in participating in research activities (Carter et al., 2017). Hence, evidence-based practice helps nurses provide the best care to their patients, which ensures positive health outcomes. Moreover, it affects the legal aspects of standardizing the latest health guidelines.
Finally, modern healthcare technologies make medical workers adjust to the new way of treating patients. Furthermore, nursing informatics’s emergence allows management of information and ensures smooth data transmission through communication (The future of nursing, n. d.). The medical specialists widely use standardized language, which facilitates understanding between the nurses and health providers (Al-Hawamdih & Ahmad, 2018).
Since the documentation is almost out of use, care workers resort to maintaining patient data on computers, mobile phones, or other electronic devices. As the technologies evolve, all the data can be stored electronically in a large amount (Al-Hawamdih & Ahmad, 2018). There is an opportunity for improved care outcomes since gadgets allow transmit, keep, and avoid more minor medication errors (Rutherford, 2021). Moreover, healthcare results’ positivity should increase since nursing informatics professionals will collaborate faster and more efficiently. As a consequence, the elaborate technologies, nurses informaticists, and standardized medical language will contribute to better public health.
When a registered nurse (RN) aspires to become an advanced practice nurse, it is necessary to ensure smooth transition since the number of duties will alter. Primarily, it is indispensable to develop time management and organizational skills which will facilitate the working process. A new nurse may be very easily confused and overwhelmed, when the instructors leaves and expects them to manage a large number of patients on their own. Being punctual, responsible, and staying easy-going throughout the day will help keep a nurse informed. It is recommended to make a ‘to do’ list, set deadlines, avoid multitasking, and delegate.
Furthermore, to alleviate the transition, a newcomer must establish effective written and oral communication with mentors and other staff. Hence, utilizing proper written, verbal, and non-verbal conversations helps avoid misconceptions. A nurse must proofread messages, be a good listener, speak and write concisely, avoiding jargon, pay attention to grammar and spelling, and clarify if something is not consistent. These are the pivotal transition strategies that guarantee a flowing transition into the profession and further career advancement.
In conclusion, it is crucial to mention that multiple aspects influence the advanced practice nurse’s role. The most influential areas that significantly impact a nurse’s performance and professional development are increased patient care, evidence-based practice, and technologies. All these factors create a solid ground for advanced practice nurses to improve health outcomes, generate new knowledge and implement them into practice, and broaden the scope of one’s skills. Nevertheless, to become a successful APN, it is vital to act in a timely and well-organized manner and develop communication skills. Education and training are the primary keys to advancing the nursing profession.
References
Al-Hawamdih, S., & Ahmad, M. (2018). Examining the relationship between nursing informatics competency and the quality of information processing. Computers, Informatics, Nursing, (36)3, 154-159. Web.
Bryant‐Lukosius, D., Spichiger, E., Martin, J., Stoll, H., Kellerhals, S.D., Fliedner, M., Grossmann, F., Henry, M., Herrmann, L., Koller, A., Schwendimann, R., Ulrich, A., Weibel, L., Callens, B., & De Geest, S. (2016). Framework for evaluating the impact of advanced practice nursing roles. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 48, 201-209. Web.
Carter, E., Mastro, K., Vose, C., Rivera, R., & Larson, E. (2017). Clarifying the conundrum: Evidence-based practice, quality improvement, or research? The Journal of Nursing Administration, 47(5), 266-270. Web.
NCSBN. (n. d.). APRNS in the U.S. Web.
Rutherford, M. (2021). Standardized nursing language: What does it mean for nursing practice? The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 13(1), 1-13. Web.
The future of nursing and the role of informatics. (n. d.).