Advanced Practice Nursing
Approximately 40 Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) cover the age continuum from neonate to geriatric; many APNs are employed in physician practices.

The APN Council serves as a forum for Advanced Practice Nurses to participate and collaborate in planning, development, and implementation of activities, standards for practice, performance improvement activities, and affiliations related to enactment of the advanced practice role.

The goals of the APN Council are to:
  • Provide the opportunity for expansion of the knowledge base of the APN role in the healthcare system through information sharing;
  • Provide a rich network of educational opportunities for the professional growth and development of the APNs;
  • Foster networking opportunity among members;
  • Encourage collaboration among APNs across practice settings and specialties;
  • Disseminate new legislative information to the APNs and encourage keeping current in these matters;
  • Serve as a resource to assist the APN in application for Medical Staff Affiliate status, credentialing process, and peer review;
  • Act as a resource to assist in the formation of policies, procedures, and standards of care that are research based.

Advanced Practice Nurse is a generic, umbrella term that encompasses nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives. The nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist roles were created in the early 1970s, whereas nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives have been advanced nursing roles for more than fifty years.

Advanced Practice Nurses are RNs who have acquired advanced preparation for expanded clinical practice by earning a master’s degree in nursing. Their distinct training and skills differentiate them from other RNs.