What Is Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)

Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) are registered nurses educated at the Masters or post Masters level and practice in a specific role, such as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse-midwives (National Council of State Boards of Nursing [NCSBN], 2015). Randi Toumbs is an acute care nurse practitioner on the Stroke Team at Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center, employed through the University of Texas Health Sciences Center. This service line was recently developed to see the non-complicated stroke patients. The team is beginning small, and the service will grow to meet the needs. The service consists of one acute care nurse practitioner, six fellows, and the

Miss Toumbs has a prescriptive authority agreement with Dr. Sarraj for patients in the acute care setting to initiate and manage treatment during the admission. She has the authority to write for high-risk medications, such as Alteplase. However, in such cases, the fellows are usually at the bedside ordering the medication (R. Toumbs, personal communication, April 20, 2015). The prescriptive authority agreement is broad and allows Miss Toumbs to prescribe treatments based on patients’ needs. She may also continue medications at time of discharge. However, she does not have the authority to follow up after discharge. On-going treatments will be seen in the clinic by the attending and fellows (R. Toumbs, personal communication, April 20,

Toumbs, personal communication, April 20, 2015). This model focuses on stroke prevention by educating high risk populations about medication regimens and lifestyle modifications. Urgent evaluation of patients with low-risk symptom onset. Reduction of length of stay for mild ischemic stroke patients, and reformatting emergency care with early administration of tissue-plasminogen activator to appropriate patients (Newby, 2014).

Conclusion

Miss Toumbs utilizes her role as an acute care nurse practitioner to provide an individualized approach to patient wellness. Using patient and family centered care, she is able to reflect on the needs, education, and treatment that the patient deserves. When first beginning, Miss Toumbs felt many unknowns. However, her education has shown her how to utilize her tools to gather information. Since beginning in this role, she has endured much personal and professional growth. Her knowledge base has grown, and she is eager to share that knowledge with patients, families, peers, and future nurse