Nurse practitioners bridge gap between doctors and nurses
A nurse practitioner plays an important role in a medical setting.
“Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) are what many describe as the middle person between physicians and nurses,” says Jessica Quintana, MSN, APRN, CPN, who works on the hospitalist team at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. The acronyms following her name signify that she obtained her Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN), that she’s an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and that she’s a Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN).
Of the duties that she and others in her field perform, she says, “Besides routine nursing skills such as obtaining specimens, IV insertions and running multiple medications at one time, we can diagnose a patient, treat their condition and prescribe appropriate medications, in collaboration with physicians.”
A nurse practitioner (NP) is a type of APRN. An APRN is a nurse who has obtained at least a master’s degree in nursing. Further specialization within in the APRN category includes nurse practitioners, as well as certified nurse-midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists, according to nursepractitionerschools.com.
“We use our previous nursing experience combined with our advanced nursing degree in different fields of nursing to diagnose and treat patients,” says Quintana. “We are able to work in multiple settings from hospitalist medicine (internal general pediatricians) to a specialized area such as intensive care units, emergency medicine and other subspecialties,” she says. “As an APRN, we have the ability to work with a multidisciplinary team to reach our goal to heal those in our care.”
Any organization that provides healthcare may hire NPs. These organizations include hospitals, doctor’s offices, hospice services and schools. In some states, NPs can also open their own practices.
Working environments often relate to the practitioner’s specialization. For instance, a women’s health nurse practitioner may work at a women’s clinic, while someone who specializes in geriatrics may practice at a nursing home, according to nursepractitionerschools.com.
Education Requirements
According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), all NPs must complete a master’s or doctoral degree program and have advanced clinical training beyond their initial professional registered nurse (RN) preparation. Didactic and clinical courses prepare nurses with specialized knowledge and clinical competency to practice in primary care, acute care and long-term healthcare settings.
As far as what sets NPs apart from other healthcare providers, according to the AANP, is their unique emphasis on the health and well-being of the whole person. With a focus on health promotion, disease prevention, and health education and counseling, NPs guide patients in making smarter health and lifestyle choices, which in turn can lower patients’ out-of-pocket costs.
To be recognized as expert health care providers and ensure the highest quality of care, NPs undergo rigorous national certification, periodic peer review and clinical outcome evaluations, and adhere to a code for ethical practices. Additionally, according to AANP, in order to promote quality healthcare and improve clinical outcomes, NPs lead and participate in both professional and lay healthcare forums, conduct research and apply findings to clinical practice.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for NPs is considerably higher than many other professions. As of 2018, the average salary of a full-time NP was $113,930, which is over double the average annual salary for all occupations. Salaries vary depending on which state you work in.
Registered nurses looking to advance to nurse practitioners must first start with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN). This takes about four to four and a half years to complete if enrolled in a BSN RN nursing program, according to registerednursing.org. The minimum degree needed for an entry-level NP is a master’s degree in nursing (MSN), which takes an additional two or more years.
A chance to advance
Nurse practitioners can also choose to advance even further by obtaining a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree. BSN to DNP takes three to four years to complete if attending full-time and five years if attending part-time. MSN to DNP takes one to two years if attending full-time. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, DNP programs provide nurses with education on evidence-based practice, quality improvement and leadership. It is more practice-based, as opposed to research-based doctoral programs.
According to Registerednursing.org, there are a number of ways for current registered nurses to become nurse practitioners. If you are an RN who currently holds a two-year associate degree in nursing (ADN), you’ll need to complete BSN coursework first. Nowadays, many schools build this in to an accelerated ADN to MSN program in order for RNs to earn their advanced degree more efficiently.
South Florida schools like Barry University, Florida International University, the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University all offer Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees and some also offer Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degrees as well.
For more information
APRN & Nurse Practitioner Programs in Miami can be found at:
https://www.registerednursing.org/schools/miami-fl/#aprn
This story was originally published April 28, 2020 at 4:44 PM.