Kaplan University’s “Know Your Advanced Practice RN” campaign is a new initiative to help consumer and health professionals better understand the role of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and their distinct career paths. The launch of the campaign was announced just in time to kick off National Nurses Week which starts today, May 6, and goes through May 12.
Advanced practice RNs have a very important role in the healthcare industry, and their role is expanding constantly. According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) there are over 267,000 advanced practice registered nurses in the US, a large number and powerful force in our healthcare systems. Part of Kaplan’s campaign is to give support to NCSBN’s “Campaign for Consensus,” a consensus model urging states to adopt uniformity in their regulation of APRN roles, along with helpful guidance on how to do so. The NCSBN Campaign hopes to align education requirements, titles, and scope of practice parameters on a national level for Certified Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and Certified Nurse Midwives.
In addition to supporting NCSBN’s campaign, Kaplan’s own campaign provides valuable information for professionals who are thinking about pursuing a career as an APRN. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 25 percent of new jobs added to the economy between 2014 and 2024 will be in healthcare. With initiatives like the Affordable Care Act expanding the role for advanced practice nurses, and the need for more nurses with advanced degrees and training to address the shortage of primary care providers around the country, increased education and more nurses pursuing advanced practice degrees and roles is more necessary than ever before.
Kaplan University hopes that their campaign will help raise awareness about advanced practice nursing careers, help nurses find out how to prepare for advanced practice degrees and roles, and provide testimonies about the expanding role of APRNS in the American healthcare system from nursing thought leaders. The role of APRNs is often misunderstood by the general public and even by the healthcare community. The “Know Your Advanced Practice RN” Campaign is Kaplan’s effort to bring clarity and promote the importance of an APRN’s role in the delivery of healthcare in the US.
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