Advanced Practice, Primary Care, and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Health care choices affect the future of advanced practice nurse practitioners in the United States. Consumer healthcare preference with regards to the “safety, quality, and effectiveness” of care will establish a platform for the prospective demand and placement of such profession (Stanley, 2011, p. 34). The knowledge consumers possess about the function and purpose of advanced practice nurses will be a deciding factor in the future of the health care system. Particularly, their deliberate movements and requests favoring or opposing the need for this position will significantly impact prospective opportunities for this position. It is imperative to educate people with the proper resources and information that will yield positive results for future employment for advanced practice nurse practitioners, especially since the filed is seen as a safe and cost-effective option. In addition to the challenge of educating consumers, increasing their level of familiarity about advanced practice nurses is a major objective that will affect the future of this position. Most importantly, the political and economic sectors have a pronounced impact on the structure and purpose in the development of the health care system (Stanley, 2011, p. 34). As a result, any decisions or changes will provide advanced practice nurses with a deeper perspective towards future employment opportunities.

The current availability of primary care healthcare professionals is less than the required amount needed to assess the needs of primary care patients. Professionals including clinicians, physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants are amongst those needed to fulfill the positions that target primary health care (Stanley, 2011, p. 267). Specifically, clinicians are in high demand to fulfill the needs within the primary healthcare system. To produce a greater amount of health professionals, several aspects of education and training will require a new structure (Stanley, 2011, p. 24). Providing undergraduate students with experience in the primary health care field is a practical approach to increasing graduate employment opportunities.

Although the future for advanced practice nurse practitioners and the high demand for clinicians in the primary care system, ACNP seem to be one with unlimited opportunities; however, the upcoming challenges continues to increase. As nurses with a master’s degree practice in more complex areas, such as those outlined by the ACNP, it is more likely that ACNP’s will obtain a doctoral degree in acute care. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) will place ACNP in a specialized position within the healthcare field (Stanley, 2011, p. 55). Being equipped with such level of education will place ACNP in a higher advantage for roles that involve treating patients with complex health problems and chronic disease. As the number of patients with these types of health issues increase, so should acutely care nurse practitioner professionals. The emergence of the acute care nurse practitioner role is presented with challenges resulting from the misunderstanding of physicians. While physicians feel threatened and believe ACNP is an attempt to extend the role of the physician, challenges will be encountered in an attempt to educate healthcare professionals about the reality of the ACNP role (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy, & O’Grady, 2014, p. 451). To clarify the perception of the professionals in the health care field, it is important for ACNP to focus their purpose on utilizing the patient’s medical history and results from their physical examinations to create a care plan that encompass the patient’s medical care and holistic process.

A focus on the patient’s health and well-being, as opposed to a concentration on the patient’s disease will provide the patient with a deeper knowledge of how to continue their health care upon discharge. Expanding such role is also perceived as an additional challenge (Hamric et al., 2014, p. 451). To achieve this objective, ACNP’s should become committed to demonstrate the thorough health and patient care in conjunction to their knowledge in patient healthcare.

References

Hamric, A. B., Hanson, C. M., Tracy, M. M., & O'Grady, E. T. (2014). The acute care nurse practitioner. Advanced practice nursing: An integrative approach (5th ed., p. 451). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

Stanley, J. M. (2011). Advanced practice nursing: Emphasizing common roles. The evolution of advanced practice in nursing, Advanced practice nursing in the current sociopolitical environment, Advanced practice in nursing inquiry and evolution (3rd ed., pp. 24, 34, 55, 267). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.