Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Essay

Comparison of Primary Care Nurse Practitioners and Acute Care Nurse Practitioners
Advanced practice nurses are nurses who have a masters or doctorate level education Buppert, 2009). They can be divided into four groups: nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse practitioners (Buppert, 2009). Nurse practitioners can be further divided into two more specific groups, primary care nurse practitioners and acute care nurse practitioners (Arizona State Board of Nursing, 2009b). The education for these two certifications differs, based on the function of the nurse practitioner. The scopes of practice and functions of the primary care nurse practitioner and the acute care nurse practitioner have some similarities and
The scope of practice is determined by the formal education and certification in either primary care or acute care (NONPF, 2011). The adult-gerontological nurse practitioner has obtained certification to care for adults and the elderly (NONPF, 2011). An Adult-Gerontologic NP cannot seek certification to care for pediatrics unless a post-graduate education has been obtained for that specialization (NONPF,
The adult-gerontological primary care nurse practitioner will provide preventative and comprehensive care to stable adults and elderly adults who may have chronic, managed illnesses (NONPF, 2011). The A-G PCNP often practices in ambulatory and community settings (NONPF, 2011). The adult-gerontological acute care nurse practitioner will provide restorative care to adults who have unstable acute illnesses or critical illnesses (NONPF, 2011). The A-G ACNP practices in environments like hospitals or telehealth, where patients’ clinical conditions may change rapidly. The care between the two different NPs may overlap as patients' chronic health issues may become acute, then stabilized and returned to the previous state of health (NONPF,