Which Are The Core Roles For An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (Aprn)? Select All That Apply.

What Is an APRN?

Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is an umbrella term for nursing professionals who accept earned a master's or doctoral degree to take on advanced roles in health care. According to the National Council of Country Boards of Nursing, APRNs include these nurse careers: clinical nurse specialist (CNS), nurse practitioner (NP), certified nurse midwife (CNM) and nurse anesthetist (CRNA).

Registered nurses (RNs) who are looking to advance their careers may consider pursuing a primary's or doctoral degree to work as an APRN. In add-on to having more autonomy and an increased scope of practice, nurses may do good from pursuing an APRN role due to job demand.

How to Go an APRN

There are multiple steps an private must take in guild to become an APRN, including teaching, certification and licensure. Before pursuing an advanced nursing career, they must first have an RN license and feel working in the nursing profession.

If those prerequisites have been met, nurses who desire to accelerate their career must take the following steps before they can practise as an APRN:

Complete an advanced nursing degree. Individuals may choose to complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program or a Dr. of Nursing Practice (DNP) program depending on their career goals and area of specialization. Online options, such as online MSN programs, are also available.
Complete clinical hours. Clinical exercise experience allows students to apply new knowledge to their practice and gain professional competencies required to fulfill the role of an APRN, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Clinical Practice Experiences FAQs.
Pass a national certification exam. There are multiple national accredited organizations that offering certification for APRNs. Nurses may choose which certification examination to accept based on their area of specialization.
Utilise for licensure in their state of practice. In order to practice in your state, APRN graduates must pursue country licensure. Requirements for licensure may vary by the state in which an APRN intends to practice.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Degrees

Although a master'south of nursing degree (MSN) is near normally used for nurses pursuing a career as an APRN, some may choose to earn a Doc of Nursing Exercise (DNP). In addition to the level of degree an individual decides to pursue, one must also consider the area of specialty they are interested in. For example, if a nurse is interested in becoming an NP to work in women's health, they may seek a degree program that focuses on that surface area of practice.

Examples of programs that focus on an area of specialty include:

Nurse Practitioner Programs
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Programs
Certified Nurse Midwife Programs
Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Programs
Family unit Nurse Practitioner Programs
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Programs
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Programs

Types of Advanced Practice Registered Nursing (APRN) Specialties

The APRN workforce includes nurses who specialize in iv areas: certified nurse midwives (CNM), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA), clinical nurse specialists (CNS) and nurse practitioners (NP).

Certified nurse midwives (CNMs) work with patients across their lifespan to provide gynecologic and primary health care; all the same, their main expanse of focus is reproductive health. CNMs take the skill gear up to care for women throughout their unabridged pregnancies, including prenatal, postpartum and childbirth care. They may also help care for newborns during the first weeks of life.
Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are trained to administer anesthetics during surgery, assist with pain during childbirth and oversee conscious sedation. Depending on where they practice, CRNAs have varying levels of autonomy and may be required to work with a physician present.
Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) focus their work on an area of expertise, such as a patient population (e.one thousand., adults) or a type of care (e.one thousand., acute and critical intendance). CNSs utilize their knowledge base and skills to act equally educators and consultants in the health intendance setting, helping to brand decisions well-nigh patient care through prove-based practice. CNSs may also provide recommendations on management of a infirmary unit.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) may focus in main care or a specialty area such as women'southward health. NPs provide direct patient care and have a greater level of autonomy than RNs, including the ability to diagnose illnesses and provide prescriptions.

What to Expect every bit an APRN

Co-ordinate to the National Council of Land Boards of Nursing "advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) are a vital part of the health organization of the United States." Their expertise and increased level of autonomy allow them to serve patients and provide additional assist to their squad in the workplace.

Requirements

There are multiple requirements an individual must meet in order to become an APRN. Commencement, an aspiring APRN must take an RN license and experience working every bit an RN prior to taking adjacent steps. Nurses should as well attend additional schooling to consummate at least a master's of nursing degree (MSN). Following the completion of an APRN degree programme, individuals must pass a certification exam from an accredited national system, such equally the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) before they tin begin their do as an APRN. The accreditation arrangement through which an individual chooses to earn certification may depend on the expanse of specialization.

Curriculum

Nurses enrolled in APRN programs are expected to participate in both classroom education and clinical experience. Curriculum requirements will vary spending on the APRN program as well every bit the specialty a nursing student is pursuing. The rigorous coursework required of APRN students mostly includes coursework in:

Pharmacology
Advanced health assessment
Pathophysiology

Additionally, students can also expect to accept other coursework related to the APRN role they are pursuing. For example, the course list for an private studying to get a certified nurse midwife will wait different from that of a student in a program for certified registered nurse anesthetists.

Role and Scope of Practice

Advanced Exercise Registered Nurse Role

APRNs play an important role in the health care system. Broadly speaking, the role of an APRN may include coordinating patient care, as well as providing primary or specialty health intendance, according to the BLS. This can include tasks ranging from recording patients' medical histories, to ordering diagnostic tests and writing prescriptions.

Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) additionally perform education and leadership duties by working with medical staff as a consultant to amend patient intendance.

Advanced Exercise Registered Nurse Scope of Practice

Depending on their role and the state they work in, an APRN'due south scope of practice may vary.

An APRN's scope of practice may include:

Evaluating and identifying a patient'due south demand for intendance
Ordering diagnostic tests
Prescribing medications
Referring patients for further care

APRNs roles vary depending on specialty, and so each APRNs role may differ. CNMs may focus on gynecological care while nurse practitioners may specialize in acute care for children.

APRN Certification

To get licensed as an APRN, nurses are required past most states to pass a national certification exam upon completing their master's degree. There are multiple organizations that provide certification exams for different areas of specialty.

The National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) offers the National Certification Examination (NCE) for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs).
The American Midwifery Certification Board is the "gilt standard" for certified nurse-midwives (CNMs).
There are multiple certifications for those who want to become a nurse practitioner to cull from based on what is required of their specific part. Organizations providing NP certifications include:
- American University of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB)
- American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
- Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB)

APRN Salaries

The BLS reports that the boilerplate salary for certified nurse anesthetists, certified nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners was $117,670 in May 2020. Wages vary across the types of APRN roles, with certified nurse anesthetists earning the highest median salary.

Occupation	Median Salary
Nurse Anesthetists	$183,580
Nurse Practitioners	$111,680
Nurse Midwives	$111,130

APRN Resources

While all APRN roles have their similarities, it is also important to learn more nigh the specifics of the specialty area an individual is interested in pursuing. The following professional person organizations provide professional information and resources that tin be helpful to aspiring APRNs and professionals currently working in the field.

American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association
Nurse Practitioners in Women's Wellness
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners
American Higher of Nurse-Midwives
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

APRN FAQs

What is an APRN-BC?
The designation of BC stands for "board certified." This may hateful that an APRN has completed a certification process to be recognized equally a professional in that detail advanced nursing field, such equally FNP-BC for Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner.

Is an APRN considered a dr.?
While APRNs work in tandem with doctors to provide quality treat patients, the roles are different. While some APRNs provide main medical care, they may be required by their state to do so in collaboration with a licensed physician.

Nevertheless, APRNs are permitted to complete some tasks that may otherwise exist handled past a doctor, such as providing principal care, ordering diagnostic tests, prescribing medication and managing a patient'southward overall intendance.

Can an APRN write prescriptions?
While the level of autonomy may vary depending on the type or specialty, APRNs are generally permitted to prescribe some medication and other treatments to patients. An APRN'south ability to manage patients' prescriptions tin can also depend on other factors. For case, nurse practitioners' prescriptive authority for certain medications may vary past state.

What is an APRN license?

To practice equally an APRN in a given country, individuals are required to get licensed, by and large by the Board of Nursing for that state. Requirements for nursing licensure vary past state, so it is important for aspiring APRNs to research what standards need to be to obtain and renew a license.

What is the divergence betwixt an APRN vs. NP (ARNP)?

APRN is a term that applies to several advanced nursing roles, including nurse practitioners (NPs). ARNP is a variation of APRN pregnant advanced registered nurse practitioner. Some nursing boards still refer to their graduate nurses as ARNPs but they typically accept the same roles and responsibilities as their APRN colleagues.

What is the deviation betwixt an APRN vs. md assistant (PA)?

APRNs and PAs both receive a primary'south level didactics in health intendance. The ii careers are certified through unlike organizations but both must pass a certification exam. APRN instruction may focus on a patient-centered arroyo while PA didactics may focus on a medical model in a particular area of medicine rather than a population.

Which states allow APRNs to piece of work independently?
The level of autonomy for APRNs depends on their specific role. According to the AANP, 25 states and the District of Columbia take approved "full exercise" status for NPs, assuasive them to piece of work independently. CNMs are permitted to work independently in 28 states, and CRNAs are allowed to practice independently in 19 states.

Last Updated in Oct 2021