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Electronic Letters to:
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eLetters: Electronic letters published:
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![[Read eLetter]](/icons/misc/sectionDOWN.gif)
APNs looking for common ground
- kimberly m harkness (28 March 2003)
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kimberly m harkness, nurse/ student unc
Send letter to journal:
kimharkness{at}earthlink.net kimberly m harkness
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Dr. Bodenheimer's advocacy for universal health insurance is akin to my own opinions regarding the future of health care. Since I am now studying to become a family nurse practioner, his words are even more salient. I want to take this oppurtunity to explain the role of the advanced practice nurse in helping these ideas come to fruition. Advanced practice nurses; nurse practioners, midwives and other clinical nurse specialists, are trained to offer efficient and evidence based practice while implementing the concepts of nursing science. Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are outcomes oriented and trained to teach, listen and treat the whole of the individual. This leads to the innate ability to serve as a care provider while also being a patient advocate. I am not saying that APNs are a replacement for physicians, but a complement to the medical aspect of the healthcare delivery system. Working together, we can help to renew the healthcare system to promote access, increase caregiver friendliness and make the system equal to all. I feel that increasing access is of utmost importance. Personalizing this access to all is essential to show the compassion of healthcare. According to the ANA (1997) there are over 160,000 practicing ANPs in this country. Although there is a nursing shortage, and potential crisis, nursing will survive. With hard work, nurses will continue to advance healthcare. Advanced practice is an avenue for these nurses to take. As demand for APNs grows, so will the numbers. If planned well, additional well-trained health care providers will increase access throughout the land. Mundiger et al (2000) found no significant differences in patient outcomes between physicians and nurse practioners in a primary care setting. This study is important to the future of primary care as it exists in the current system as well as in any future systems. Since many chronic diseases offer diverse comorbidities, health prevention and promotion are of utmost importance. The nurse practioner is perfectly poised to take on these aspects of healthcare. Pronk et al (1999) found a direst comparison between unregulated adverse health risks and "significantly higher healthcare costs within 18 months" (p. 2235). Promotion and prevention should help to decrease the high cost of healthcare. Increased numbers of providers with cost contained through the effectiveness of primary care seems ideal, and it may be. Surely with an increase in providers there will be less careprovider stain and increase the friendliness of the system. Wth a less stressed care provider, I hypothesize a decrease in accidents and an increase outcomes of medical practices. Having more providers also means better access to these practices. Nursing is ready to provide well-trained, certified and quality healthcare professionals. So please take nursing along with you in this movement for common ground. Thank you, Kim Harkness |
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