Assignment Instructions
Describe how the role of advanced registered nurse transformed over time. Consider shifts in scope and expectations in the 20th and 21st centuries. In what ways will the advanced registered nurse role and responsibilities continue to evolve and emerge as the American health care system changes?
Sample Answer
The roles of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) have evolved based on the population demands and nurse shortages. APRN deficits have led to expansion of the roles of the nurses leading to the need for the nurses to advance their education and redefine their practice scope. The traditional roles of the APRNS are the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Nurse Practitioner (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNW) (Rannus & Weir-Hughes, 2023). These roles emerged from the disparities in healthcare due to wartime, vulnerable populations, under-served rural areas, and shortage of healthcare providers. For instance, the role of CRNA emerged during World War I due to the shortage of physicians. The role continued advancing and the CRNAs now held the duty of the chief provider of the anesthetics. The expansion of the roles of the nurses led to the emergence of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) which monitors and regulates growth in this field.
The expansion of the APRN roles has led to the emergence of graduate-level education and various specialties in nursing. Some of the specialties for APRN nurses are Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, psychiatric mental health, and adult-gerontology. Other non-traditional areas where nurses practice are; nurse administrators, clinical nurse leaders, public health nursing, nurse educators, and nursing research (Boehning & Punsalan, 2023). With an increasingly aging population and shortage of nurses, APRNs remain to be the most efficient and cost-effective solutions to improve patient satisfaction. The learning domains of APRN-trained nurses include professionalism, healthcare technologies, informatics, system-based practice, interprofessional partnerships, person-centered care, quality care, patient safety, and leadership (Boehning & Punsalan, 2023).
References
Boehning, A. P., & Punsalan, L. D. (2023). Advanced Practice Nurse Roles. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK589698/#:~:text=APRN%20role%20has%20evolved%20to,and%20training%20beyond%20registered%20nurses.
Rannus, K., & Weir-Hughes, D. (2023). The evolving roles of the Advanced Practice Nurse in postgraduate studies. Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, 72(3), 220-229. https://kirj.ee/wp-content/plugins/kirj/pub/proc-3-2023-220-229_20230622115745.pdf