A great deal of confusion exists regarding the
terminology. The terms “Advanced nursing practice”
or “advanced practice nursing” are used interchangeably
to refer to the overall field in which
Advanced Practice Nurses operate. [5, 6] The International
Council of Nurses defines an Advanced
Practice Nurse (APN) as ‘a registered
nurse who has acquired the expert knowledge
base, complex decision-making skills and clinical
competencies for expanded practice, the characteristics
of which are shaped by the context and/or
country in which she/he is credentialed to practice.
A master level degree is recommended for
entry level’ [4]. APNs are thus registered nurses
who through a university education to Master or
doctoral level have acquired this expertise with
the goal of contributing to the achievement of improved
outcomes for a particular patient population
[6]. Expanded clinical practice refers to
nurses taking on responsibilities traditionally attributed
to physicians, such as clinical assessment,
diagnosis and treatment. Expanded practice also
refers to new interdisciplinary models in which
nurses take the lead in initiatives aimed at improving
patient care, such as the development of transitional
care models or nurse-led clinics. [4, 6] Examples
are the development and implementation
of a model for management of delirious postacute
care patients, [7] a strategy with proven effectiveness
in reducing the incidence and severity
of delirium as well as shorter length of stay and
even decreased mortality. [8] Another example is
the development of a nurse led wound care clinic
[9, 10] or nurse led heart failure clinics