Nurse Practitioners in Acute Care Settings
The role of Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) is a fairly recent newcomer to nursing. This advanced practice nursing profession emerged in the 1970s and was officially recognized in 1995, when a national certification examination was offered for the first time by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
The ACNP role developed over time as a response to the developments in acute care settings. For example, hospitals wanted to reduce the length of stay for patients and to improve patient care at the same time. There was also a trend to decrease the number of medical residency programs. During the late 1980s, the first graduate-level Acute Care Nurse Practitioner programs were offered as an answer to the obvious need for formal preparation for the ACNP role.
As nurses began taking on the new role of ACNP, several studies were done in the USA and in Canada to evaluate the usefulness of the specialty. The results were overwhelmingly positive. For example, the American Journal of Critical Care published a study in November 2004 in which attending physicians, respiratory therapists, and nurses in 2 intensive care units were asked to list 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of collaborative care provided by ACNPs. The results showed that acute care nurse practitioners were valued by all three groups of surveyed respondents for various reasons.
The general finding of the study was that ACNPs were appreciated for their "accessibility, expertise in routine daily management of patients, and ability to meet patient/family needs, especially for "long-stay" patients," according to the AJCC. Also, "..they were respected for their commitment to providing quality care and for their communication skills, exemplified through teaching of nursing staff, patient/family involvement, and fluency in weaning protocols."
Other studies are congruent with these findings, and the role of an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner continues to become more popular in hospitals and clinics. Not only does an ACNP fill a needed role, but he or she also saves on health care costs since many of the tasks performed by higher-charging medical providers can be done by an ACNP.
There's no argument that the role of an ACNP has been beneficial for health care. But what about the nurses themselves? How has this career opportunity impacted RNs who are eager to move into an advanced practice role?
Again, the response from nurses has been overwhelmingly positive. "This role is ideally suited to perioperative nurses and RNFAs who want to take on an advanced practice role but do not want to leave the hands-on, acute care setting of the perioperative arena," wrote Janice L. Schroeder in the 2008 issue of AORN Journal.
Advanced practice nurses enjoy more diverse career opportunities and higher salaries, so as more advanced practice options become available this is good news for nurses who want to take their careers to the next level. There are only four advanced practice clinical professions within nursing, one of which is the nurse practitioner. An ACNP is a nurse practitioner who provides care to acutely ill patients in a variety of settings.
An ACNP will perform advanced physical assessments, diagnostic reasoning, and therapeutic management. He or she is also responsible for integration of care through the acute care phase. The ACNP's day-to-day responsibilities could include doing in-depth physical evaluations, interpreting test results, treating wounds, inserting catheters, and ordering medications.
Nurses who are interested in becoming an ACNP will typically need to pursue a Master's in Nursing Science degree (MSN). In addition, there is a growing national trend for all nurse practitioners to have a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. This degree gives nurse practitioners similar academic credentials to those held by dentists, medical doctors, and clinical pharmacists.
During the course of their graduate-level education, future nurse practitioners take courses in health sciences, such as pharmacology, epidemiology, and pathophysiology, as well as courses in the diagnosis and clinical management of health and illness. In addition to their coursework, students must also complete several semesters of supervised clinical practice.
After graduating and passing the national certification examination, an ACNP can choose to go into private practice, like 15% of all NPs, to work in a nurse-managed health center, or to work in a hospital or other health care setting. Becoming an ACNP is a perfect choice for any RN who is looking for new challenges and brighter career options.
Become a Nurse Practitioner Online
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University of Phoenix
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As the largest private university in North America, University of Phoenix has more than 200 locations, and is available online in most countries around the world. Whether you're seeking a college degree at an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral level, we can help you reach your academic goal—and sooner than you might think.
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Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies
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Founded in 1789, Georgetown University is the nation's oldest Catholic and Jesuit university. Today, Georgetown is a major international research university that embodies its founding principles in the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff, our commitment to justice and the common good, our intellectual openness, and our international character.
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Independence University
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You can advance your career 24/7 with online education at Independence University, your proven partner with over 30 years of experience in delivering quality distance education right to our students. Our programs are designed to allow you to continue working and earning as you pursue your online degree.
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Walden University
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Balance your personal and professional commitments while earning a respected Ph.D., master's degree, or bachelor's degree online at Walden University. Programs offered in management, education, psychology and health and human services.
Programs:- M.S. in Nursing (MSN) - BSN Track
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Career Colleges of America
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Get your career started with Career Colleges of America. We have four campuses in the Los Angeles area offering a wide variety of allied health training programs.
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Fortis Institute
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Looking to prepare for your dream career? Fortis Institute can give you the skills and training you need to succeed in the fast-growing and high-demand healthcare field. * Programs vary by location * Please contact each individual campus for accreditation information * Fortis Institute - Indianapolis advertising code is AC-0163.
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Carrington College
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Carrington College has helped over 45,000 graduates realize their dream of a career in healthcare. Now it's your turn. Choose from eleven conveniently located campuses.
Programs:- Registered Nursing
- Boise
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Carrington College California
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Carrington College California offers the programs you need to begin a career in healthcare. Choose from Healthcare, Massage Therapy, Dental Assisting, Pharmacy Technology, or Veterinary Services.
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Concorde
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Bryant and Stratton College
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Give your career a boost with an education from Bryant and Stratton College. We offer certificate, associate degree, and bachelor's degree programs for careers in the business, criminal justice, design, finance, technology, health care, and legal fields.
For more information about Bryant and Stratton’s graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website at www.bryantstratton.edu/disclosures.
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Western Governors University
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Medtech
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CollegeAmerica
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Finally, a college that delivers. CollegeAmerica is truly unique in that their curriculum is designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to prepare students for success.
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