Acute care nurse practitioners in transplantation: adding value to your program

Nurse practitioners are nurses who are prepared at the graduate level. They exercise autonomy in clinical decision making, perform physical examinations and obtain health histories, diagnose and treat a variety of illnesses, provide education and counseling to patients, perform procedures, and ultimately provide cost-effective care. The role of the nurse practitioner evolved in the 1960s, when nurse practitioners filled a void in response to the nationwide shortage of physicians. Today, nurse practitioners specialize both by degree and by certification examination. There are several types of nurse practitioners, including acute care, adult, family practice, and pediatric. The incorporation of acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) in transplant programs is an emerging field and varies across the country from center to center. The goals of this article are to (1) identify implications for ACNPs in transplant, (2) discuss the value of using ACNPs in practice, and (3) explore billing and regulatory aspects of ACNPs in transplant programs.