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The role of the advanced practice nurse in pediatric general surgery
1Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Insights
Advanced practice nurses (APNs) offer diverse care in pediatric surgery, managing complex congenital anomalies in inpatients and handling diagnosis, management, and coordination for outpatients. This article details their varied roles and common cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Nursing Practice
- Healthcare Delivery
Background:
- Advanced practice nurses (APNs) play a crucial role in pediatric surgical care.
- Their responsibilities span both inpatient and outpatient settings.
- APNs manage a wide spectrum of pediatric surgical conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To delineate the multifaceted functions of APNs in pediatric surgery.
- To highlight the differences in APN roles between inpatient and outpatient environments.
- To identify common diagnoses encountered by APNs in pediatric surgical practices.
Main Methods:
- Review of APN roles in pediatric surgical inpatient care.
- Analysis of APN responsibilities in pediatric surgical outpatient clinics.
- Discussion of typical diagnoses managed by APNs.
Main Results:
- APNs provide comprehensive care for infants and children with complex congenital and surgical anomalies in inpatient settings.
- In outpatient settings, APNs are involved in diagnosis, management, education, and care coordination for routine and complex pediatric surgical cases.
- The article outlines specific roles and common diagnoses managed by APNs.
Conclusions:
- APNs are integral to pediatric surgical teams, offering specialized care across different settings.
- Understanding the distinct roles of APNs in inpatient and outpatient pediatric surgery is essential for optimizing patient care.
- The scope of practice for APNs in pediatric surgery encompasses a broad range of conditions and responsibilities.
Abstract:
The advanced practice nurse (APN) functions in pediatric surgery in a variety of ways. In the inpatient setting, the APN can provide care to infants and children with many complex congenital and other surgical anomalies. In the outpatient office, the role includes diagnosis, management, education, and care coordination for children with both routine and complex diagnoses. This article discusses the differences in some of these roles and a few of the common diagnoses seen by the APN in a pediatric surgical practice on a routine day.