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…