Difference Between Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioners - Essay Example

"Difference Between Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioners" is an outstanding example of a paper on care.
Advanced registered nursing practitioners are highly recognized in the field of nursing and healthcare practices. Such recognition has been attained due to their high levels of education after obtaining an ordinary or postgraduate degree and the necessary skills to exercise an advanced scope of nursing. An advanced registered nurse uses expansive skills and knowledge to carry out an assessment then determines the right kind of service that should be given to the patient. Based on their level of competency, advanced registered nursing practitioners are subdivided into several clusters that include primary and acute care Nurse Practitioners. However, such divisions are distinct and independent of each other.

Difference between primary and acute care Nurse Practitioners

There are several areas in which, primary care nursing practitioners and acute care nursing practitioners relate to each other, statements from nursing scholars have given clarity on how both practices are distinct in areas of work to achieve a positive outcome for the patient. Firstly, primary care nursing practitioners work under the supervision of physicians while operating under a general office where they share some common practice (Miller, 2011). On the other hand, acute nurse practitioners work under the responsibility of the head nurse in consultation with other physicians but must at liberty to consult directly with the patient.

Based on academic qualifications, primary care nursing practitioners are mostly awarded the certification after the completion of a master's degree in nursing. However, some of them may pursue education beyond masters though it is not mandatory according to the international policies of medical practitioners. In order to qualify for an acute nurse, one must have an associate bachelor’s degree, pass the acute nursing practitioners examination, and must go through a job training session for a while to perfect their skills. (Miller, 2011).

According to Bahouth, Blum & Simone (2013), primary nursing practitioners are mainly the first persons to be contacted while in need of service within the healthcare institution. Besides, they may not be readily available within the healthcare environment due to their nature of being attached to general practice while acute nursing practitioners are professionals who work within healthcare premises taking care of patients with a critical illness such as chronic conditions. On the contrary to primary nursing practitioners who are allowed to work periodically depending on the management of the healthcare system, acute practitioners are mostly attached to medical centers thus forced to handle their tasks in shifts.

Practice locations

Reuter & Bolick (2012), clarifies that both primary and acute nurses take care of patients based on varied ends of the health continuum even if they operate on similar grounds. However, activities of primary nursing practitioners having been based on skills do not relate it to acute nursing that is perceived as more professional. While most primary nurses carry out their duties as general practitioners, it is mandatory for acute nurses to work in healthcare-based institutions taking care of patients who are experiencing critical illness such as those who undergone operations. Primary nurses are at free will to exercise the practice in pharmacies and clinics outside the main hospital center. Besides, they are at liberty to recommend a patient to an acute nurse who works strictly within the healthcare center.