The World of Acute Care Nurse Practitioners

Scope of practice

Upon completion of a formal educational program (excerpted):

• Elicit a comprehensive health history and perform a physical exam.

• Prioritize and initiate pertinent diagnostic tests.

• Analyze data to determine nursing and medical diagnoses.

• Develop a prioritized comprehensive problem list.

• Collect patient data on an ongoing basis, prioritized according to the patient’s immediate conditions and needs.

• Identify expected patient outcomes in collaboration with patient, family, and other professionals.

• Develop a plan of care that prescribes interventions to attain expected outcomes.

• Prescribe and implement the interventions in the multidisciplinary plan of care.

• Evaluate the patient’s progress toward attainment of expected outcomes.

• Systematically evaluate the quality and effectiveness of care.

• Facilitate the use of organizational resources in caring for the patient through the analysis and modification of system enhancements and barriers.

• Evaluate clinical practice in relation to professional and ethical standards, relevant laws, statutes, and regulations.

• Acquire and maintain current knowledge in advanced practice.

• Contribute to the professional development of peers, colleagues, and others.

• Make decisions on behalf of the patient in an ethical manner.

• Critically evaluate and modify existing (clinical) practices based on current research findings.

• Participate in research activities.

• Consider factors related to safety, effectiveness, and cost in planning and delivering patient care.

• Develop and implement strategies that have a positive effect on the political and regulatory processes related to the health care systems and the acute nurse practitioner’s role.

Educational preparation and eligibility requirements

Program of study (excerpted):

• A master’s degree in nursing and completion of a graduate-level program for preparation of acute-care NPs required.

• An valid RN license in the United States or its territories.

• The acute-care NP program should be a minimum of nine months or one academic year of full-time study or its equivalent, as defined by the sponsoring institution.

• Approximately one-third of the program should be devoted to classroom or didactic experiences and the remaining two-thirds to clinical or preceptorship experiences.

• Didactic content should include a review and application of theories from anatomy and physiology, nursing and medical services, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and social sciences.

• Decision-making and clinical management process for acutely or critically ill adults that include health assessment data gathering techniques; management of acute and chronic health problems; management of instability and comorbidity; systematic evaluation of potential and actual outcomes; consultation and collaboration; and health promotion and risk-factor modification.

• Supervised clinical and preceptorship experiences that include skills development in diagnostic reasoning, decision-making, consultation, collaboration, appropriate use of technology, research process, and management of acute and critically care systems.