AORN Position Statement on
Perioperative Advanced Practice Nurse
PREAMBLE
The registered nurse practicing as an advanced practice nurse (APN) builds on the foundation and core values of the nursing domain. The APN practices autonomously to design, implement, and evaluate patient-specific and population-based programs of nursing care. The APN practices in many roles and arenas. The purpose of this document is to define the role of the perioperative advanced practice nurse.
POSITION STATEMENT
The perioperative APN is, first and foremost, a registered professional nurse who is competent in the use of specialized perioperative nursing knowledge and skills in the care of patients and families undergoing operative and other invasive procedures. The APN possesses a minimum of a master's degree in nursing, concentrated in a recognized area of advanced clinical nursing practice (ie, nurse practitioner [NP], clinical nurse specialist [CNS], certified registered nurse anesthetist [CRNA], or certified nurse-midwife [CNM]), which forms the foundation for an advanced practice role.
A hallmark of the APN's skills are the autonomy and expertise in diagnosing and treating complex responses of clients (ie, patient, family, community) to actual and potential health problems that are related to the prospect of or the performance of operative or other invasive procedures. The perioperative APN fosters patient advocacy and patient safety. Formulating clinical decisions in managing acute and chronic illnesses by assessing, diagnosing, and prescribing treatment modalities, that may include pharmacological agents, are all inherent in the perioperative APN role. In addition, the perioperative APN promotes wellness, and does this primarily by conducting comprehensive health assessments.
The perioperative APN integrates clinical practice, education, research, management, leadership, and consultation into a single, but multifaceted, role. Because the focus of this role is care of surgical patients, the perioperative APN continually functions in a collegial relationship with nurses, physicians, health care organizations and systems that influence care of the surgical patient.
Resources
American Nurses Association. "Scope of nursing practice: Advanced practice registered nurses," in Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (Washington, DC: Nursesbooks.org, 2004) 14-16.
Coalition of Nurse Practitioners. Agenda item 12.2.5, presented at the Coalition of Nurse Practitioners Constituent Assembly, Dec 2-3, 1993.
Hamric, A B, et al, eds. "A definition of advanced practice nursing," in Advanced Practice Nursing: An Integrative Approach, third ed (St Louis, Mo: Saunders, 2005) 85-108.
Mirr, M P. "Advanced clinical practice: A reconceptualized role," AACN Clinical Issues in Critical Care Nursing 4 (November 1993) 599-602.
"Patient safety," Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, http://www.jcaho.org/accredited+organizations/patient+safety/npsg.htm (accessed 9 Oct 2005).
"Perioperative advanced practice nurse competency statements," in Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guidelines (Denver: AORN, Inc, 2006) 97-124.
Original approved by the House of Delegates, Atlanta, March 1995
Reaffirmed by the Board of Directors: December 2004
Revision: approved by the House of Delegates, March 2006
Sunset review: March 2011
The registered nurse practicing as an advanced practice nurse (APN) builds on the foundation and core values of the nursing domain. The APN practices autonomously to design, implement, and evaluate patient-specific and population-based programs of nursing care. The APN practices in many roles and arenas. The purpose of this document is to define the role of the perioperative advanced practice nurse.
POSITION STATEMENT
The perioperative APN is, first and foremost, a registered professional nurse who is competent in the use of specialized perioperative nursing knowledge and skills in the care of patients and families undergoing operative and other invasive procedures. The APN possesses a minimum of a master's degree in nursing, concentrated in a recognized area of advanced clinical nursing practice (ie, nurse practitioner [NP], clinical nurse specialist [CNS], certified registered nurse anesthetist [CRNA], or certified nurse-midwife [CNM]), which forms the foundation for an advanced practice role.
A hallmark of the APN's skills are the autonomy and expertise in diagnosing and treating complex responses of clients (ie, patient, family, community) to actual and potential health problems that are related to the prospect of or the performance of operative or other invasive procedures. The perioperative APN fosters patient advocacy and patient safety. Formulating clinical decisions in managing acute and chronic illnesses by assessing, diagnosing, and prescribing treatment modalities, that may include pharmacological agents, are all inherent in the perioperative APN role. In addition, the perioperative APN promotes wellness, and does this primarily by conducting comprehensive health assessments.
The perioperative APN integrates clinical practice, education, research, management, leadership, and consultation into a single, but multifaceted, role. Because the focus of this role is care of surgical patients, the perioperative APN continually functions in a collegial relationship with nurses, physicians, health care organizations and systems that influence care of the surgical patient.
Resources
American Nurses Association. "Scope of nursing practice: Advanced practice registered nurses," in Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (Washington, DC: Nursesbooks.org, 2004) 14-16.
Coalition of Nurse Practitioners. Agenda item 12.2.5, presented at the Coalition of Nurse Practitioners Constituent Assembly, Dec 2-3, 1993.
Hamric, A B, et al, eds. "A definition of advanced practice nursing," in Advanced Practice Nursing: An Integrative Approach, third ed (St Louis, Mo: Saunders, 2005) 85-108.
Mirr, M P. "Advanced clinical practice: A reconceptualized role," AACN Clinical Issues in Critical Care Nursing 4 (November 1993) 599-602.
"Patient safety," Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, http://www.jcaho.org/accredited+organizations/patient+safety/npsg.htm (accessed 9 Oct 2005).
"Perioperative advanced practice nurse competency statements," in Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guidelines (Denver: AORN, Inc, 2006) 97-124.
Original approved by the House of Delegates, Atlanta, March 1995
Reaffirmed by the Board of Directors: December 2004
Revision: approved by the House of Delegates, March 2006
Sunset review: March 2011