Advanced practice nursing in the care of frail older adults

Models of care for frail older adults have increasingly used advanced practice nurses (APNs) to achieve outcomes. Knowledge of the common APN functions and skills that contribute to the success of these models could better inform education and evidence-based practice and guide further research, but published investigations associated with models of gerontologic care neither describe fully these functions and skills nor link the activities of the APN with specific outcomes. Using examples primarily from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, this paper identifies, describes, and analyzes common functions and skills of APNs in published gerontologic care models; examines the strength of the evidence for the effect of APNs on outcomes of care; and identifies areas for further study.