Introduction
This scholarly paper identifies the advantages of pursuing a post graduation degree in advanced practice nursing through systematic exploration of evidence – based research literature. Healthcare facilities affected with an acute shortage of nursing professionals and resultantly the existing nurses remain overburdened with additional work responsibilities. Due to the limited scope of clinical practice of the nursing workforce, the autonomous administration of healthcare interventions in complex medical emergencies proves to be a biggest challenge that leads to the deterioration of psychosocial as well as physiological conditions of the affected patients. Therefore, skills enhancement of registered nurses is the need of today and made possible through the successful accomplishment of M.S.N – A.P.R.N degree course from a reputed and recognized educational institute.
Reasons for Pursuing Master of Science in Nursing – Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (M.S.N – A.P.R.N)
The increasing burden of communicable, non – communicable, acute, chronic as well as life threatening diseases across the community environment warrants the deployment of advanced practice registered nurses for administering primary care, transitional care and prophylactic healthcare interventions to the eligible subjects (Institute-of-Medicine, 2011). The APRNs remain equipped with the requisite knowledge of tracking the onset of various disease conditions at their beginning level while coordinating with the physicians and therefore, these professionals assist the patient population while administering remedial interventions and referring the patients to the required clinical specialties for focused treatment in accordance with their disease patterns and associated clinical manifestations. The advance practice registered nurses authorized to administer the highest quality of healthcare interventions and safety measures to the patients affected with a range of clinical complications and contagious conditions. Advanced practice nurses experience the autonomy of working in a self – directed manner across the clinical settings and equipped with the tools and techniques for administering holistic and evidence – based healthcare interventions to the patient population while accessing and evaluating the healthcare challenges and individualized requirements of the affected patients. APRNs collaborate with physicians for undertaking the entire healthcare episodes of the affected patients and allocate healthcare resources while assisting the patients and their family members in the context of optimizing the healthcare outcomes. Therefore, the nurse professionals attain evidence – based skills after pursuing the Master of Science program in APRN and resultantly, experience the advantage of autonomously dealing with the complex clinical scenarios and elevating the level of patient care services across the clinical setting (Cox & Lack, 2012, pp. 1983-1984).
Comparison between the Roles of Clinical and Non-Clinical M.S.N – A.P.R.N
The clinical nurse practitioners across most of the developed nations attain the privilege of prescribing therapeutic regimen to the patients in medical emergencies; however non-clinical advanced nurse specialists not authorized to prescribe medication to the patient population under any circumstances. Clinical APRNs remain engaged in acute patient settings and coordinate with multidisciplinary healthcare teams in administering care and therapy to the eligible subjects. However, the non-clinical ARPNs attain the role of nurse informatician, nurse administrator and nurse educator across the healthcare settings as well as the hospital environment (MSNedu, 2016). Nurse informaticians take accountability of managing healthcare databases for the effective retrieval of clinical information by physicians and healthcare teams. The non-clinical ARPNs associate with various nursing schools for delivering nursing education to facilitate the dissemination of clinical knowledge and nursing skills among the nursing students. Non-clinical ARPNs attain the privilege of serving the nursing care facilities as facility directors in elevating the quality of nursing care services for the effective enhancement of wellness outcomes among the patient population. Contrarily, the advanced practice registered nurses directly facilitate the administration of holistic and community-based interventions for the patient population and engage themselves in clinical studies in the context of modifying the nursing care interventions as per the constantly changing healthcare needs of the patient population. Advanced practice registered nurses extend their contribution in mental health settings in the context of improving the psychosocial health and quality of care of the patients affected with various mental health issues (NPS, 2016). Clinical APRNs also attain specialization in clinical domains like neonatology, pediatrics and critical care services for improving the associated healthcare outcomes (MSNedu, 2016). Clinical APRNs associate in the geriatric patient care settings and administer patient – centered care with the effective utilization of evidence – based healthcare interventions while coordinating with the members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams (MSNedu, 2016).
Roles of A.P.N and Associated Requirements
The preliminary role of APNs attributes to the facilitation of the desirable change in healthcare practice in collaboration with physicians and other healthcare teams (Medscape-Multispecialty, 2016). The advanced practice nurses prove to the organizational leaders while educating the healthcare teams and facilitating the personal development of nursing professionals in the context of improving the quality of healthcare services across clinical settings (Medscape-Multispecialty, 2016).
Advanced practice nurses facilitate the palliative care interventions while configuring new healthcare approaches for the patients affected with terminal conditions (Medscape-Multispecialty, 2016). The configuration of complex patient-care-models facilitated with the interprofessional collaboration by the advanced practice nurses in the context of reducing the length of patient stay inside the hospital setting (Medscape-Multispecialty, 2016).
Advanced practice nurses facilitate the process of debriefing for the nurses and collaborate with healthcare teams in administering coping strategies and counseling sessions for reducing their level of distress while handing the traumatic scenarios (Medscape-Multispecialty, 2016).
Advanced practice nurses assist in the effective organization of patient care conferences and educational sessions for improving the quality as well as continuity of healthcare interventions across the healthcare setting (Medscape-Multispecialty, 2016). Advanced practice nurses facilitate the improvement of communication channels between the healthcare teams and the patient population in the context of customizing the healthcare interventions in accordance with the healthcare challenges and personalized requirements of the affected patients (Medscape-Multispecialty, 2016).
Significance of Advanced Practice Role in the Career Enhancement of Registered Nurse
Findings in (IOM, 2011a) indicate the elevated scope of practice of advanced practice nurses allowing them to execute and administer multidisciplinary healthcare measures for acquiring the goal oriented patient outcomes. Registered nurses after acquiring the APN skills enhance their competence, authority and skills in dealing with complex clinical scenarios and resultantly, their job opportunities extend considerably across the healthcare sector. The multidisciplinary skills attributing to rehabilitative interventions, nutrition management strategies and psychosocial approaches attained by advanced practice nurses assist them in terms of increasing the scope of their employment opportunities that warrant the systematic administration of multidisciplinary measures for increasing the quality of healthcare interventions across the healthcare settings (IOM, 2011a).
Conclusion
The enrolment in M.S.N – A.P.R.N curriculum highly warranted for the registered nurse professionals in the context of elevating their clinical as well as non-clinical skills for improving the quality of nursing care interventions across the clinical settings. The skills enhancement of nurses in this manner not only improves their healthcare efficiency, but also opens new pathways for career enhancement across the healthcare sector. The accomplishment of APRN degree program authorizes the nurse professionals to increase their scope of clinical practice and administer the safe and effective healthcare interventions beyond the legal boundaries.
References
Cox, C., & Lack, V. (2012). Advanced Practice in Healthcare: Skills for Nurses and Allied Health Professionals. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.in/books?id=hGTbbJPtp-8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=MSC+Advanced+practice+registered+nurse&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
IOM. (2011a). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences.
Medscape-Multispecialty. (2016). Caring for Dying Children: Assessing the Needs of the Pediatric Palliative Care Nurse. Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/707801_5
MSNedu. (2016). Job Description for MSN-Educated Nurses in Clinical and Nonclinical Roles. Retrieved from http://www.msnedu.org/msn-careers/
NPS. (2016). Nurse Practitioner vs. Clinical Nurse Specialist. Retrieved from http://www.nursepractitionerschools.com/faq/np-vs-cns
