Interview on Advanced Practice Nursing

ACNPC-AG Interview

The scope of practice for nurse practitioners varies depending on range of skills, processes, and procedures for which the professional has been trained, educated, and licensed to perform. Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification -- Adult Gerontology (ACNPC-AG) is entry-level advanced practice for acute care nurse practitioners who are trained and credentialed to offer advanced nursing care that meet the specialized needs of adult-gerontology patient population. To understand the scope of practice, supervision, and credentialing of nurse practitioners, I interviewed a member of a nursing administration in an inpatient setting and found the following:

How does the interviewee perceive the role of the advanced practice nurse?

The interviewee considers the role of the advanced practice nurse as a change agent who's crucial to the development of the nursing profession because he/she extends the conventional scope of knowledge. Therefore, advanced practice nurse works collaboratively with physicians and other healthcare professionals to offer complex nursing care because of his/her wide range of skills and knowledge. The interviewee stated that the advanced practice nurse helps in diagnosis and management of complex clinical situations because he/she has acquired expert knowledge, multifaceted decision-making skills, and competencies for extended nursing practice.

2. Does the interviewee recognize a difference in scope of practice between the adult nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, and acute care nurse practitioner?

Adult nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, and acute care nurse practitioner are some of the most popular specialist positions for nurse practitioners. These different specialties differ in relation to scope of practice, which results in differing career development opportunities since each specialty requires a nurse practitioner to undergo several specialized training programs. Through his description of the responsibilities of each of these nurse practitioners, the interviewee clearly recognizes their differences in scope of practice. The interviewee stated that family nurse practitioners deliver primary care through identifying acute and complex situations and ensuring that patients with those conditions are referred to suitable healthcare facilities and specialists. As a result, these practitioners can diagnose patients, order tests, make referrals, and write prescriptions. On the other hand, he stated that the main responsibility of acute care nurse practitioners is to work with critically ill patients with complex healthcare needs. These practitioners are highly trained in emergency procedures as they are directly involved with patients with life threatening situations or have need for emergency care. Moreover, he stated that adult nurse practitioners provide primary healthcare services to adults (which include patients aged 12 years or more). They are generalists whose roles may sometimes overlap those of family nurse practitioners as they assess, diagnose, and manage common, chronic, and acute health conditions as well as educate patients on disease prevention and wellness measures.

3. What experience does the interviewee possess working with advanced practice nurses?

The interviewee has tremendous experience working with advanced practice nurses over the past 10 years. This experience stems from the fact that the interviewee has worked as a member of nursing administration for several years. Given that the interviewee is mainly involved in nursing administration roles and duties, he has worked at different hospitals and with different advanced practice nurses during patient care.

4. What are the procedures for credentialing advanced practice nurses within their institution?

Advanced practice nurses are required to undergo a credentialing process to gain clinical privileges for nursing practice. As a result, every institution or healthcare facility has a specific credentialing form and process for advanced nursing practice (Jansen & Zwygart-Stauffacher, 2010, p.165). For its credentialing process for advanced practice nurses, this healthcare facility has established a committee that is mandated with the task of credentialing these practitioners. The committee, which is overseen by medical staff at the facility, comprises members from different departments in the organization. Members of this credentialing committee are largely from the department of nursing as well as the human resource department. The committee not only handles credentialing matters but also deal with privileges for advanced practice nurses in relation to the area of specialty or expertise.

The first step for credentialing advanced practice nurses within this institution is completion of a credentialing application form. The form must have several components including proof of education, state certification or licensure, brief employment history, and a list of practice privileges requested by the applicant. The next step is verification of the applicant's qualifications using primary source verification and criminal background check. The third step is a peer review by the relevant professional bodies as well as supervision to determine whether to grant or deny the privileges requested by the applicant. Professional bodies in nursing are used for this process because they have repository data or information related to the practitioner's competence and experience in this field. During this process, the applicant's credentials and practice must be in line with their nursing education and training.

5. How many advanced practice nurses are employed by the interviewee's institution?

The interviewee's institution is a children's hospital that provides a wide range of pediatric services to children in the state and other parts of the country. As one of the premier children's hospitals in the country, the facility has more than 65 advanced practice nurses. These nurses (who have advanced education and training for patient care) work in various roles and departments in the facility to help contribute to quality care for patients and their families. Advanced practice nurses range from neonatal nurse practitioners to pediatric nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists. Given their divergence in roles, these nurses have varying job descriptions and responsibilities for patient care.

6. How many family nurse practitioners and acute care nurse practitioners are employed?

One of the major objectives of the interviewee's healthcare facility is to provide quality care to patients and their families. As a result, the institution has employed more than 25 family nurse practitioners who work collaboratively with other health professionals to ensure delivery of high-quality care to patients. The role of family nurse practitioners at the healthcare facility is to identify patients with acute and complex situations and refer them to the appropriate nursing or medical unit within the organization.