Advanced Nursing Practice

“Advanced nursing practice is the deliberative diagnosis and treatment of a full range of human responses to actual or potential health problems.” (Calkin, 1984). Advanced nurse practitioners attempt to maximize the use of knowledge and skills and improve the delivery of nursing and health care services. The field of advanced nursing practice differs from basic practice as the former requires clinical specialization at the master’s level. At this level, nurses become expert practitioners whose work includes direct and indirect patient care. Direct patient care involves caring for patients and their families; this is the focus of my section on nurse clinicians. Indirect patient care includes work as an educator, researcher, and a consultant. One aspect of all these nursing roles that has fascinated me is the collaboration that occurs with other medical professions. Collaboration occurs at all levels of nursing practice and not just expert practitioners. By practising collaboratively with medical staff, other nurses, and members of an interdisciplinary team, patient outcomes can be greatly improved.
Nurse as Clinician
As clinicians, nurses have an “in-depth knowledge of a clinical population, advanced recognitional abilities, and increased use of past whole situations of situation specific referents for understanding the clinical situation” (Benner, 1984). Advance nurse practitioners focus on client and situations which enhance positive outcomes for the client. Thus, the practitioner’s actions are purposeful, directed towards excellence and pragmatic (Sutton & Smith, 1995). Nurse clinicians practice with distinct characteristics while aiming for an effective management of the health problems of patients. Clinicians become competent in managing the complex health issues of patients and thus are in a front-line position to improve patient quality of care (Chuk, 1997). Nurse clinicians possess expert nursing skills which results in an acceleration of the nursing

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