Introduction
Advanced practice nurses are among the key players in the primary care environment, as they usually have a broader scope of responsibilities than other nurses. Besides delivering care to patients, APNs are engaged in developing treatment plans and supervise other healthcare staff (Gyin, Sottas, Odermatt, & Essig, 2019). APNs are trained in one of the four recognized APN roles: Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA).
Each of these roles impacts APNs’ practice settings and experience. The present paper will explain the four APN roles in greater depth and provide a rationale for choosing the CNP role. Additionally, the paper will consider plans for clinical practice and discuss the role transition from RN to CNP.
Four APN Roles
The four APN roles define the area of specialization and vary in terms of their breadth. In addition to initial education in nursing and licensing, all roles require a Master’s or Doctorate degree and certification. Certified Nurse-Midwives deliver primary and gynecologic care to women and are involved in reproductive health care, as well as in prenatal and postpartum care (American Nurse, 2017). Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists provide various types of anesthesia in different settings (American Nurse, 2017). They can offer pain management services in primary care or work in pediatric, obstetric, surgical, and dental care settings.
Clinical Nurse Specialists and Clinical Nurse Practitioners have a broader practice area than the first two roles. According to American Nurse, CNSs “practice across the lifespan and in all settings, and provide support and expertise to other nurses, physicians, hospital systems, and patients” (para. 8). Their role often includes managing complex patients and supporting care integration, and they can also specialize in a specific population, health problem, or setting. Finally, CNPs usually work in primary care settings and “provide care across the wellness-illness continuum” (American Nurse, 2017, para. 4). Depending on their education program, CNPs can be prepared to work in acute or specialty care (American Nurses Association, n.d.). Hence, each of the four APN roles impacts nurses’ practice scope and specialty.
The rationale for Choosing the CNP Role
The primary reason why I chose the CNP role is that it offers the most flexibility in terms of practice scope. As explained by Gyin et al. (2018), CNPs have an “expanded scope of practice in diagnosing, prescribing, treating, and referring patients” (p. 1). Depending on the specific population focus, CNPs can provide services to families, older adults, children, infants, or women, as well as offer mental health services. This means that, as a CNP, I will be able to have a significant influence on the health outcomes of my community. The potential impact of my work and the flexibility that the role entails had a significant influence on my choice of the CNP role.
Plans for Clinical Practice
After graduation, I plan to continue working in primary care settings, delivering healthcare services to families. On the one hand, this area of practice will allow me to contribute to my community since I will be providing services to diverse patients. On the other hand, it will also give me an opportunity to develop my skills and experience in nursing by interacting with patients and other care providers.
I also plan to develop my leadership potential and apply for nurse leader roles in the future. Although I had a good understanding of NP practice before conducting research, preparing this assignment offered more insight into the topic. First of all, it provided me with more information regarding the potential population foci that NPs can work within their practice. Secondly, it explained the context in which NPS work today and their relation to other nurses operating in today’s healthcare environment.
Role Transition
Role transition is a significant process in career development from RN to NP. Barnes (2015) shows that the transition can be challenging and stressful for nurses as it involves the change in the scope of practice and responsibilities. Additionally, the transition entails a shift in professional identity since “there is a shift from an experienced, often expert status in the RN role to an inexperienced, novice status in the NP role” (Barnes, 2015, p. 178). These transformations can have a negative impact on my future work experience and career outcomes. Therefore, two of the factors affecting transition are stress and lack of experience.
In order to address these challenges, I will use two separate strategies. Firstly, I will engage in evidence-based stress management activities to decrease the level of chronic stress, such as exercise and regular meditation. This will help me to ensure that the role change has little effect on my job satisfaction and psychological health. Secondly, I will actively participate in training and continuing education opportunities to gain experience and knowledge as quickly as possible. This will assist me during role transition as I will feel more confident and prepared to work in the NP role.
Conclusion
Overall, the paper examined the four APRN roles with a focus on CNPs. Although each of the roles has similar education and certification requirements, they differ substantially in terms of work settings and practice scope. CNPs usually work in primary care and provide a wide array of services to diverse populations, which is why I chose this role. In my future clinical practice, I plan to provide primary care services to families in order to contribute to my community’s health. Role transition from RN to NP can be challenging due to stress and the lack of experience. However, using the identified strategies will enable me to address these factors and ensure a successful transition.
References
American Nurse. (2017). A look at each APRN role. Web.
American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). Web.
Barnes, H. (2015). Exploring the factors that influence nurse practitioner role transition. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 11(2), 178-183.
Gysin, S., Sottas, B., Odermatt, M., & Essig, S. (2019). Advanced practice nurses’ and general practitioners’ first experiences with introducing the advanced practice nurse role to Swiss primary care: a qualitative study. BMC Family Practice, 20(1), 1-11.