What is an APRN?

Demystifying Advanced Practice Registered Nursing (APRN) Careers

Advancing your nursing education and responsibilities is a pivotal decision with major professional and personal implications. Two potential pathways nurses consider are becoming an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) or a Nurse Practitioner (NP). But what exactly do those titles mean and how do they compare? This definitive guide examines these prominent nursing roles side by side – from duties and training requirements to career trajectories and specializations. Read on for an extensive comparison to help you make an informed choice if looking to elevate your expertise to better serve patients.

What is an APRN?

Let’s start by clearly defining what it means to be an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.

Defining an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are registered nurses who have obtained advanced education, clinical training and certification far beyond a basic nursing degree. APRNs are equipped to autonomously assess, diagnose and treat a wide range of health conditions as well as prescribe medications. They act as primary and specialty care providers of healthcare services in diverse settings.

The Scope of Practice for an APRN

The clinical scope and responsibilities managed independently by APRNs include:

• Conduct initial and comprehensive patient evaluations
• Diagnose many common acute illnesses and injuries
• Provide ongoing care and long-term disease case management
• Create patient treatment plans
• Prescribe drug therapies, medical equipment and care interventions
• Refer complex conditions to physicians when appropriate
• Counsel patients on health promotion topics

In particular, APRNs can work fairly autonomously in ambulatory care environments like clinics, nursing homes, schools and patient homes. They collaborate with medical doctors in hospitals, emergency departments and specialist offices for optimal team-based patient care.

How to Become an APRN

While state-specific licensing processes vary, APRNs do share core national education standards:

APRN Education Pathway

1. Earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree
2. Obtain RN Licensure and Nursing Experience (2-3 years recommended)
3. Complete an Accredited Graduate Level APRN Program
   • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
   • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
4. Pass National Advanced Practice Certification Exam
5. Apply for APRN State Licensure

There are a few notes about these steps:

There are a few notes about these steps: – Direct entry MSN programs allow non-nurses holding bachelor degrees to accelerate to RN licensure and then APRN status through a condensed course timeline.
– The graduate degree specialties align with one of the four recognized APRN roles covered next.

There are a few notes about these steps:

• Direct entry MSN programs allow non-nurses holding bachelor degrees to accelerate to RN licensure and then APRN status through a condensed course timeline.
• The graduate degree specialties align with one of the four recognized APRN roles covered next.

Types of APRN Specialties

There are four main types of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse specialties:

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners manage comprehensive primary care, acute illnesses and chronic disease states through:

• Patient health assessments
• Diagnostic test orders and interpretations
• Treatment plan creation
• Medication prescriptions
• Health education and counseling

Certified Nurse-Midwife

Certified Nurse-Midwives provide care and support to women across reproductive life stages by:

• Delivering babies
• Leading well woman exams
• Administering birth control
• Guiding pregnancy, birth and postpartum care

Clinical Nurse Specialist

Clinical nurse specialists aim to enhance care quality and improve patient outcomes through:

• Research studies
• Evidence-based practice initiatives
• Policy and protocol updates
• Nursing staff education and mentoring

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

CRNAs deliver anesthesia, pain management and emergency response services including:

• Administering anesthetics for surgical procedures
• Inserting breathing tubes in intensive cases
• Providing stabilization medications during crises

APRN Certification Process

Beyond graduating from an accredited MSN or DNP program, APRNs validate specialized expertise through rigorous national certification exams and state licensure, including:

• Maintaining RN licensure good standing updated annually
• Passing population-focused exam like the ANCC or AANP tests
• Securing advanced practice authority through state licensure
• Renewing ANCC or AANP board certification every 5 years

These credentials convey an APRN’s ongoing education and accountability to standards. Now let’s explore nurse practitioners more granularly.

What is a Nurse Practitioner Role

Many pursuing advanced expertise fixate specifically on being a nurse practitioner. So what defines this prolific role?

Clarifying the Role of a Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses with specialized advanced education, training and credentials qualifying them to:

• Take patient histories
• Perform physical exams
• Order and analyze diagnostic tests
• Diagnose acute health issues
• Create individualized care treatment regimens
• Prescribe medication therapies
• Manage patients with one or more chronic conditions
• Provide coordination across healthcare teams

The NP role offers a pathway to expand nursing duties into broader primary and specialty care aligned with physician shortages nationwide. Rather than supported nursing tasks, NPs assess and treat diverse patient cases autonomously while still collaborating with supervising doctors.

Scope of Practice for NPs

The clinical scope spans preventative wellness to chronic disease oversight including:

NP Practice Privileges

• Take complete health histories
• Perform physical exams
• Order and interpret lab tests
• Screen and diagnose conditions
• Develop treatment plans
• Prescribe medications
• Provide referrals to physicians
• Follow-up and coordinate care intricacies

While state regulations vary, the goal is advancing NPs towards independent practice so they can meet more patient needs. Supervision levels required differ greatly – from direct oversight to periodic collaboration depending on the healthcare setting category.

Steps to Become an NP

Here is the step-by-step educational and licensing pathway to practice as a nurse practitioner:

Core NP Education Steps

1. Complete accredited 4 year nursing Bachelor’s degree (BSN)
2. Pass RN licensure exam (NCLEX) for registered nursing status
3. Gain 1-2 years of direct nursing care experience
4. Complete an accredited graduate NP program (MSN, DNP)
5. Log 500+ supervised clinical practicum hours
6. Pass national NP certification exam
7. Apply for advanced practice registered nurse state licensure

These extensive requirements ready NPs for advanced duties – combining nursing expertise with specialized graduate medical preparation similar to their collaborating physicians.

The Role of NPs in Clinical Practice

In healthcare environments, NPs take a central, hands-on role:

• Operating independent wellness clinics
• Leading college health centers
• Providing community hospital inpatient care
• Staffing emergency departments and urgent care centers
• Joining specialty offices like cardiology and dermatology

They also coordinate care teams, refer cases beyond their scope, advocate for patients, ensure continuity through care transitions and so much more. The end result – enhanced access, outcomes and satisfaction.

Available Nurse Practitioner Programs

Those committed to an NP career have options when selecting their graduate program pathway:

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – traditional route to NP status
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – highest nursing credential
• RN to MSN bridge programs – accelerate bachelor’s nurses

And when picking your flavor of MSN or DNP study, consider specializing with options like:

• Adult-gerontology primary or acute care NP
• Family nurse practitioner
• Psychiatric mental health NP
• Pediatric primary or acute care NP
• Women’s health NP
• Emergency NP

This targeting helps you fill high demand roles. Now that we have covered the APRN and NP trajectories separately, let’s compare them.

Differences and Similarities Between APRNs and NPs

With so much common ground around advanced clinical care delivery, where exactly do APRNs and NPs diverge?

APRN vs NP: Understanding the Distinctions

We can contrast them across focus areas:

	Advanced Practice RN	Nurse Practitioner
Definition	Umbrella title for 4 nurse specialties (NP, CRNA, CNM, CNS)	Specific APRN role and population focus
Care Focus	Advanced nursing + specialty medical care	Comprehensive health management similar to physicians
Care Setting	Ambulatory clinics, nursing facilities, patient homes	Often hospitals, emergency departments, private clinics
Practice Regulation	State regulated licensure, national certification	State licensure allowing expanded autonomy

In short, all NPs meet the advanced practice standards to fall under the APRN designation but not all APRNs choose the nurse practitioner education and license path. The NP role specifies advanced duties and privileges similar to doctors’ scopes.

Are NPs Considered APRNs?

Yes, NPs have additional qualifications and responsibilities exceeding registered nurses without full independent physician privileges. So they meet advanced practice criteria to also be called APRNs. But APRNs include 3 other roles not covered by the NP license.

American Nurses Association: Comparing APRN vs NP Roles

The industry reference body further delineates responsibilities, for example:

APRN	Nurse Practitioner
Practice nursing across care settings	Focus on clinical environments like hospitals, clinics
Includes CRNAs, CNMs specialty paths	Generalist or population focused specialization
Advanced standing, disease scope	Expanded primary + acute care duties

Evidence-Based Practice: APRN vs NP

While all nursing practice aims for data-backed care, APRNs and NPs approach it differently:

• APRNs balance delivering care with spearheading research studies and instituting protocols. They take an aerial and hands-on view.
• NPs more directly participate in investigator trials while implementing updated gold standards at point of care through diagnostics and treatment plans.

Possessing Advanced Degrees: APRNs and NPs

As outlined early, both complete accredited Master’s or Doctoral programs at minimum including:

APRN Graduate Degrees	NP Graduate Degrees
MSN – Advanced Practice Core Courses	MSN – NP Specialty Tracks
DNP – Advanced Practice + Leadership	DNP – NP Specialty Tracks

These graduate credentials validate critical thinking, assessment competence and clinical expertise.

Now that we’ve detailed definitions, duties, distinctions and degrees, let’s segue into career paths and outlooks.

Potential Career Paths

Delving into realistic possibilities paints a full picture when selecting your trajectory.

Exploring APRN Career Options

Pursuing an APRN pathway opens diverse healthcare doors including:

• Clinical settings from clinics to hospitals
• rotate specialties without added credentials
• Independent practice restrictions lifting
• Leadership beyond direct care realms
• Research, academia and policy participation
• Private consults and traveling locum roles

APRN flexibility and demand breeds possibilities limited mostly by your priorities.

Nursing Career Opportunities for NPs

If you hone specifically on practicing as an NP, prospects remain bright:

• Primary care shortages fuel openings
• Specialize without additional licensing
• Six-figure earnings potential once established
• Independent or joint practice ownership
• Department administration leadership
• Clinical adjunct professor status

From the frontlines of care delivery to steering strategy in the boardroom, NPs are equipped for impact across organizations.

APRN Programs: Stepping Stone to Advanced Nursing Careers

Catalytic development programs producing APRNs include:

• RN to MSN accelerated formats
• MSN direct clinical hours immersion
• DNP total leadership embodiment
• Post-graduate APRN certifications

Stackable learning scaffolds skills through academic-practice fusion.

Career Growth Trajectory in NP Programs

Meanwhile seminal NP program models enable:

• High value primary care access
• Community wellness clinic ownership
• Clinical ladder climbing with experience
• Department leadership pathways
• Expert status through continued credentials

Both education blueprints deliver expert clinician graduates advancing care standards.

The Value of Advanced Training and Education in Nursing Careers

Beyond just checking degree boxes, elevated nurse learning pays dividends through:

• Reducing medical errors
• Cutting unnecessary healthcare spend
• Decreasing hospital admissions and readmissions
• Optimizing chronic disease management
• Improving preventative screening rates
• Thriving continuity between care settings

Whole person health flourishes under highly qualified nursing vision grounded in graduate level scientific excellence.

Clearly branching into advanced practice realms generates intrinsic rewards for professionals driven to positively impact lives. Altruismoverflows into communities encountering this caliber of clinician. Now let’s predict the outlooks for these fulfilling career pursuits.

The Future of APRN and NP Professions

Visioning the growth trajectories for advanced practice nurse roles spotlights enduring prospects.

Practice to the Full Extent: The Future of APRNs

Ongoing policy changes steadily allow APRNs to operate more independently:

• Reduced physician oversight
• Prescriptive authority expansion
• Billing and reimbursement directly for services
• Care model innovation pilot participation

These reflect healthcare’s growing trust and need for APRNs managing larger patient panels.

The Future for Nurse Practitioners: Full Practice Authority

Similarly crushing statewide provider shortages position NPs as solutions – with 12+ states giving them Full Practice Authority already including:

• Open independent and specialty clinics
• Serve as community hospital admitters
• Lead patient-centered medical home sites
• Heal the underserved through policy efforts

The outlook remains strong for NPs serving communities once NP graduate programs migrate fully online with simulation teaching substituting for clinicals.

Emerging APRN Specialties and Opportunities

As nursing care models evolve, new APRN micro specialization prospects spotlighted by entities like ANCC include:

• Genetics and genomics
• Transgender health
• Cannabis consulting
• Integrative mental health
• Palliative and hospice administration

This innovation reflects healthcare change.

Advancements in Nurse Practitioner Graduate Programs

Meanwhile NP training advances mirror practice transformation through:

• Telehealthcompetencies
• AI decision support integration
• Value-based reimbursement curriculum
• Full tech-enabled simulation labs
• Interprofessional faculty teams

Tomorrow’s NP graduates enter an opportunity-rich professional terrain.

Becoming an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse: A Look Ahead

Industry groups foresee the coming decade for APRNs as pivotal through:

• 35% of the entire healthcare workforce
• 4.7 million registered nurse jobs
• 750,000 nursing positions unfilled
• APRNs narrowing care gaps

The data confirms APRNs will continue serving communities with compassion and competence for generations. Pursuing this purpose-filled profession inthe context of national priorities crystallizes the tremendous personal and public value.

Which Nursing Career Track is Your Best Fit?

As you look ahead to advancing your expertise, understand the differences between APRNs and NPs before investing in new credentials and responsibilities. Consider both what inspires your drive to serve more and practical factors like program availability, cost and local demand. Lean into specializations needed most while playing to your innate strengths.

Whether you aspire to guide families as a pediatric NP, administer anesthesia as a CRNA or lead innovation initiatives as a DNP executive, let your vision pull you towards making the difference only you can. Then get equipped through the graduate degree, licensing and certifications to back up that dream with competence. Every community needs more nurses advancing care through advanced practice roles. We need you – so now go elevate your positive impact through continued education.

FAQ: Advanced Practice Nurses

What’s the difference between an APRN and NP?

An APRN is an advanced practice nurse with specialized graduate education and training. NPs fall under the APRN umbrella but focus specifically on providing primary care and preventing services. All NPs are APRNs but not all APRNs choose to become NPs. APRN vs NP roles – AANP

What master’s degree is required to become a nurse practitioner?

To become an NP, most nurses complete either a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. These programs include advanced coursework and supervised clinical practice training. Upon graduating, NPs must pass a national certification exam such as the ANCC or AANP. NP education overview – ANCC

Which U.S. states allow APRNs to practice independently?

Currently, over 25 states allow APRNs to practice independent of physicians. This includes states like Arizona, Colorado, and Oregon where APRNs can provide services without physician oversight based on their training and certifications. Requirements can vary widely by state boards of nursing. APRN state law guide – NCSBN

What’s the difference between a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP)?

A Psychiatric Mental Health NP specializes in caring for patients with behavioral health and psychiatric disorders. Meanwhile an Acute Care NP cares for adults and geriatric patients facing complex acute and chronic medical conditions in emergency and critical care settings. PMHNP fact sheet – AANP

Can Clinical Nurse Specialists prescribe medications?

In most states, Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) are considered APRNs, allowing them full prescriptive authority within their scope of practice, education, and training. CNSs work to integrate research findings and evidence-based practice into nursing care delivery models. CNS overview – AACN