Advanced-Practice Nurses Offer a Shot in the Arm for Ailing Healthcare Systems
Why are advanced-practice nurses in such high demand? Simply put, the need is great and the opportunities to grow careers in this profession are countless.
Nurses with advanced degrees, such as nurse practitioners, are essential members of the healthcare team, playing a vital role in improving access to care, enhancing patient outcomes, and promoting overall health and well-being in communities. Their impact is substantial, offering significant benefits to both individuals and communities.
Nurse practitioners are trained to provide a wide range of healthcare services, including diagnosing and treating illnesses, prescribing medications, and managing overall patient care. Their advanced education and training enable them to take on responsibilities traditionally handled by physicians, particularly in primary care settings where there may be a shortage of doctors.
In Wisconsin and around the country, nurse practitioners provide essential healthcare services in a variety of hospital, clinic, and community settings. Not only does their expanded scope of practice help fill gaps when doctors are in short supply, it also alleviates healthcare disparities experienced by vulnerable populations, especially in rural and underserved areas.
Alverno College, a leader in nursing education, offers a number of nurse practitioner tracks designed to serve several patient populations. They include an adult-gerontology primary and/or acute care nurse practitioner program, a family nurse practitioner program, and a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program. “The programs are student-centered, of course, but they are also patient-centered in that the goal is to produce health care providers who will be competent, knowledgeable and professional in their care of patients,” says Peg Rauschenberger, dean emerita of Alverno’s JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions. Upon completion of the MSN program, students are eligible to apply for national certification in their advanced practice specialty and state-sanctioned prescriptive authority.
Alverno’s program, open to women and men, trains healthcare leaders who are ready to advance the nursing profession. “Our students consistently and rapidly become employed after graduation because of their outcome-based education,” says Rauschenberger. “They don’t become defensive with constructive feedback, because they know it will only make them better practitioners.”
Nurse practitioners are an essential part of the present and future healthcare delivery system. They work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care to patients, emphasizing disease prevention and patient education, improving health outcomes. These roles offer opportunities for nurses to expand their careers and advance their skills, all while benefiting the communities they serve.
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