The Role of the Advanced Nurse Practice in a Changing Health Care Environment

TheRole of the Advanced Nurse Practice in a Changing Health Care Environment
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The Role of the Advanced Nurse Practice in a Changing Health Care Environment
Advanced practice nursing is an integral part of any health care setting. Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are charged with the responsibility of coordinating and providing patient care. While their scope of nursing practice may vary from one state to another, APNswork in various health care environments, such as clinics, schools, nursing care facilities, physicians’ offices, and hospitals. This essay examines the role of APNsin the backdrop of the dynamic health care environment; how the role enhances physicians’ practice; and the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the new delivery system.
The health care environment is undergoing drastic changes due to the increase in the prevalence of multimorbidity and chronic illnesses among the aging population. Consequently, the demand for both critical and emergency care services has risen significantly (Woo, Lee & Tam, (2017, p. 1). Therefore, APNs play a key role in the provision and coordination of such services, and hence enhancing patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and quality of care. Other factors that drive the health care changes include disparities, suboptimal outcomes, unsustainable costs, access problems, and fragmentation (Salmond&Echeverria, 2017, p. 12). With these factors in mind, it is critical to design an effective del...