Advanced Practice: What is it about?

Once a Nurse, Always a Nurse

Nurses, always indispensable, are becoming even more so by continuing on for advanced education and certificates in a wide variety of fields. They are able to extend the reach of doctors in all directions and often have the ability to function on behalf of patients based on their own knowledge and philosophy of care. One thing that makes Advanced Practice Nursing care different from doctors and surgeons is that often they have ongoing and continuing care for their patients, where (especially for surgeons), the doctors are involved in an episode of the patients' health, but may never see them again. Nurses work closely with the patients, insuring understanding of diagnosis, options for dealing with their condition, post-care instructions and continued follow-up for years. Join us for this discussion of pros and cons of advanced practice, reasons for pursuing this avenue of nursing and how to decide whether it is right for you.