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Advanced Practice is the category of medical professionals and medical clinicians comprised of Physician Assistants as well as all Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), including Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Nurse-Midwives, and Nurse Anesthetists. Previously referred to as Mid-Levels or Physician Extenders, Advanced Practice Professionals and their professional associations and organizations are now more commonly using this newer term as such previous descriptors and categories are vague and non-descriptive of their actual scope of practice.
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About Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs)
APRNs have advanced clinical education, knowledge and scope of practice. They define a level of nursing practice that utilizes expanded skills, experience and knowledge in assessment, planning, implementation, diagnosis and evaluation of the care required. Nurses practicing at this level are educationally prepared at post-graduate level and may work in a specialist or generalist capacity. However, the basis of advanced practice is the high degree of knowledge, skill and experience that is applied within the nurse-patient/client relationship to achieve optimal outcomes through critical analysis, problem solving, and evidenced based decision-making.
APRN forms the basis for the role of Nurse Practitioner. The Nurse Practitioner role is an expanded form of advanced practice nursing which is specifically regulated by legislation and by professional regulation. Legislation may allow prescribing and referral, in addition to admitting privileges to health care facilities.
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View the top 10 reasons to work locum tenens as an APRN.
About Physician Assistants (PAs)
Physician Assistants are medical clinicians licensed to practice medicine with supervision of a licensed physician. A PA is concerned with preventing, maintaining and treating human illness and injury by providing a broad range of healthcare services that are traditionally performed by a physician. PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery and write prescriptions.
PAs exercise autonomy in medical decision-making as determined by their supervising physician. They are educated in the medical model designed to complement physician training. PAs are not to be confused with Medical Assistants, who perform administrative and simple clinical tasks with limited college-level education in hospitals and clinics under the direct supervision of Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners or Physician Assistants. PAs must graduate from an accredited, two-year program and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination to become a certified Physician Assistant (PA-C).