APRNs in Transitional Care: Understanding the Role These Providers Can Play-APRNs in transitional care

Pdf Summary

The roles of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are expanding due to the rising demands for effective healthcare delivery in the U.S. Historically, Nurse Practitioners (NPs), a subset of APRNs, addressed the primary care needs of underserved populations. Over time, they became integral in tackling broader healthcare system challenges, especially after the 2010 Institute of Medicine recommendation to allow APRNs to practice fully within their capabilities. This shift comes amid growing needs, particularly for transitional care, due to the expansion of health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).<br /><br />APRNs include Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs), and Certified Nurse Practitioners (CNPs), with specializations in various population focuses such as family health, pediatrics, and mental health. Despite the diverse roles and state-specific regulations, APRNs consistently emphasize direct patient care and possess advanced clinical skills and education, including graduate-level courses and national certification.<br /><br />In transitional care, APRNs are essential due to their capacity to manage patient transitions effectively, reducing adverse events like medication discrepancies and rehospitalizations. Their broad training equips them to provide consistent, high-quality care and address patient needs comprehensively, helping to stabilize patients' support systems and ensuring continuity of care.<br /><br />The implementation of the Transitional Care Model (TCM) has highlighted APRNs' unique contributions, emphasizing nine core components, including risk assessment, maintaining relationships with patients and caregivers, and promoting continuity and coordination. Their involvement in transitional care programs has shown promising results, such as reduced hospital readmissions and overall healthcare costs, further solidifying their role in enhancing care quality and patient outcomes.<br /><br />Overall, APRNs are pivotal in healthcare for their advanced practice skills, ability to build trusted patient relationships, and effective transitional care management, contributing significantly to the evolving healthcare landscape.

Asset Subtitle

Understanding the role these providers can play

Keywords

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

APRNs

Nurse Practitioners

healthcare delivery

Transitional Care Model

Affordable Care Act

Certified Nurse-Midwives

Clinical Nurse Specialists

patient care

healthcare system