The Definition of an APP

Advanced Practice Providers (APP) include Nurse Practitioners (NP), Physician Assistants (PA), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM). These practitioners have Master’s degree level of education. They also have been board certified by their own accreditation boards. Their level of expertise allows them to practice to the highest level of autonomy within their individual state practice acts.

The Growth of APPs

According to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, there are more than 248,000 licensed NP’s nationwide. In addition, there are over 115,500 practicing PA’s nationwide. There has been a recent increase in demand for APP’s to help assist with the strain on our healthcare system due to physician shortages, increased numbers of Medicare-Eligible patients, and the influence of change from the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Advanced Practice Providers are the future of the healthcare system. The demand for APPs is only going to increase.

By virtue of their training, APP’s can be exposed to the full complement of clinical skills and expected performance of the specialties in which they choose to practice. State medical boards have varying levels of oversight and delineation of privileges. These should be looked at closely when APP’s enter the clinical world. Ultimately, the ability of APPs to utilize their full skill set and training abilities will be dependent on the people who hire them, the comfort level of their supervising physician(s), and the hospital credentialing committee, in cases where hospital procedures are being considered. Breaking into the clinical procedure component of practice may be challenging in some places, while expected in others. Finally, depending on the state, some APP’s may have the ability to practice completely unrestricted and without supervision, within the state’s privilege guidelines.

Exposure to procedures and documented reliability and safety when performing these procedures are often reasons that APP’s may not be granted full reign to practice the procedures they request. Inevitably, as the healthcare shortage increases and needs become more paramount, these restrictions will become less encompassing in APP practice. Regardless of procedural exposure or expectations, all APP’s provide a critical niche in the healthcare landscape and will greatly reduce the burden of healthcare delivery as their numbers grow.

Advanced Practice Provider Education with PPE Medical

At Provider Practice Essentials, we want to help advanced practice providers become stronger through hands-on training with other APPs. Our workshop participants leave with not only knowledge but a practice suturing kit and access to our online portal filled with educational material including reference sheets and videos. Check out our 2018 courses and register today!