Introduction.
APRNS are registered nurses who have advanced in terms of education status that is they
have gone beyond normal nursing and done masters and a doctorate in nursing, they have also
advanced in practice and they have become specialist nurses for instance you find them being
referred as; nurse-midwife, nurse anesthetic, clinical nurse specialists and many more in relation
with their area of specialization (Gysin et al., 2019). This program was started in the United
States of America as a result of an increased number of chronic illnesses and an aging population
that needed special immediate healthcare and it has spread globally (Schirle et al., 2018). These
nurses often help in providing primary health care which is an approach to the community with
an aim of health promotion, disease prevention, and management of health conditions including
palliative care, meaning they can diagnose and treat illnesses a role majorly played by doctors.
Importance of APRNS at different levels of prevention.
Primary prevention
This is the level of prevention that aims to prevent the occurrence of a disease or injury.
as a future APRNS, I will be certified to explore the community and identity different hazardous
indications that may cause disease or any injury occurrence and offer appropriate education on
safety and preventive measures. For instance, I will assess the population in the community to
determine whether they have been immunized against Covid 19 and encourage the non-
immunized to consider immunization since they are at the risk of contracting the disease.
Secondary prevention
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In this level of prevention, the infection or injury has already occurred and the main aim
here is to halt the progress of the disease or injury which may cause more harm to the patient. As
a future certified APRNS I will be able to diagnose the condition, prescribe medication, and
request and interpret different screening and diagnostic tests with or without the help of other
physicians. Examples in this level include; screening for breast cancer or prescribing and
administering ceftriaxone to a child with bacterial meningitis.
Tertiary prevention
At this level, the person has already developed the disease or is suffering from a long-
lasting injury and the main aim here is to prevent the patient from the complications of the
disease hence promoting comfort, function, and prolonging the life expectancy of the patient
(Schönenberger et al., 2020). As a future certified PRNS I will play important role in palliative
care as a specialized palliative care nurse by eliminating symptoms that cause discomfort in
patients. Example in this level include managing pain in a patient suffering from chronic breast
cancer.
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Reference.
Gysin, S., Sottas, B., Odermatt, M., & Essig, S. (2019). Advanced practice nurses and general
practitioners’ first experiences with introducing the advanced practice nurse role to Swiss
primary care: a qualitative study. BMC Family Practice, 20(1).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-019-1055-z
Schirle, L., Norful, A., Rudner, N., & Poghosyan, L. (2018). Organizational facilitators and
barriers to optimal APRN practice: An integrative review. Health Care Management
Review, 45(4), 311-320. https://doi.org/10.1097/hmr.0000000000000229
Schönenberger, N., Sottas, B., Merlo, C., Essig, S., & Gysin, S. (2020). Patients’ experiences
with the advanced practice nurse role in Swiss family practices: a qualitative study. BMC
Nursing, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-020-00482-2