Introduction There are more than 234,000 nurse practitioners (NPs) licensed in the United States (AANP, 2017). Among these practitioners only approximately 2.6% combined adult, and pediatric nurse practitioners are certified in the acute care specialty (AANP, 2017). All advanced practice nurses (APRNs) assess, diagnose, treat, and manage acute episodic conditions and chronic illnesses, regardless of the patient population they are certified to care for. The purpose of this paper is to analyze, evaluate, and discuss the role of the FNP in an acute care setting.
Defining Acute Care The Merriam-Webster dictionary (2017) defines acute care as; providing or concerned with short-term usually immediate medical care as for serious illness or
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The Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification & Education (APRN Consensus Model) has been endorsed by 41 nursing organizations. The APRN Consensus Model defines advanced practice registered nurse practice, describes the APRN regulatory model, identifies the titles to be used, defines specialty, describes the emergence of new roles and population foci, and presents strategies for implementation (APRN Consensus Work Group & the National Council of State Boards of Nursing APRN Advisory Committee, …show more content…
All were educated in primary care (Buppert, 2014). The concern comes when the FNP is put in the position to be deposed in litigation. The first thing the plaintiff's attorney will ask is, "What qualifies you to provide emergency services?" An NP who is certified in acute care and/or emergency care can point to the certification. An NP certified as an FNP is going to be in a weak position, because FNP programs do not currently prepare NPs to provide services in the ED (Buppert, 2014). An FNP who has been practicing in an ED or ICU for 10 years will be in a better position to defend his or her competence and lack of the appropriate credential than a newer FNP. This is the major reason FNPs are encouraged to continue their education and obtain additional certifications in their chosen practice