advanced practice nurse
Meaning of advanced practice nurse: Graduate level training beyond standard nursing preparation qualifies this clinician to diagnose conditions and manage treatment within a defined, state regulated scope of practice.
Definition of advanced practice nurse
An advanced practice nurse is a registered nurse who has completed additional graduate level education and clinical training beyond standard nursing preparation, qualifying them to take on an expanded role in diagnosing and managing disease. Advanced practice nurses are licensed at the state level and hold certification from a national nursing organization in their particular area of practice.
The category includes several recognized roles, such as nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists, each with its own focus and scope of practice within patient care.
In many care settings, an advanced practice nurse manages a significant portion of a patient's ongoing care, often working in collaboration with a physician under a formal practice agreement, and the specific services an advanced practice nurse may independently provide vary depending on the regulations of the state or jurisdiction in which they practice.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The advanced practice nurse managed the patient's ongoing care in collaboration with the supervising physician.
Good to know
The specific services an advanced practice nurse may provide independently, rather than in collaboration with a physician, vary depending on the regulations of the state or jurisdiction in which the nurse practices.