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Advanced practice nurses in emergency care settings: A demographic profile
Journal of Emergency Nursing
|October 19, 2002
Summary
Advance practice nurses (APNs) in emergency care settings are experienced registered nurses with master's degrees. While new to their APN roles, most are certified, highlighting a need for further research on their optimal utilization and impact.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Emergency Medicine
- Advanced Practice Nursing
Background:
- Limited understanding of clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners (APNs) in emergency care.
- Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Advanced Practice Committee initiated a profiling study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To profile advance practice nurses (APNs) practicing in emergency care settings.
- To gather demographic data on APNs in emergency departments.
Main Methods:
- Survey distributed to ENA conference registrants and posted online.
- 166 APNs completed a 17-question survey on demographics, education, experience, certification, and practice area.
Main Results:
- APNs possess significant prior experience as emergency department (ED) registered nurses.
- Most APNs hold master's degrees, are state-recognized, and certified (often by ANCC).
- Nurse practitioners are frequently family nurse practitioners; clinical nurse specialists have varied certifications.
Conclusions:
- APNs in emergency care typically have master's degrees and extensive RN experience.
- Despite being new to APN roles, most are certified.
- Further research is essential to optimize APN utilization, document patient care contributions, and address educational/practice needs.