advanced practice registered nurse

Patients—not nurses—are the story when it comes to state legislative battles to modernize advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) scope of practice laws

En esta Semana Nacional del Enfermero, deseo agradecer a todo el maravilloso personal de enfermería que he tenido la suerte de conocer. Cada día, los enfermeros del país ponen en práctica sus increíbles habilidades y su compasión para brindar alivio durante momentos difíciles y cuidar de los más vulnerables. Cuando cuidaba a mis padres, los enfermeros fueron parte fundamental de nuestro equipo de cuidado. En especial, la enfermera Sue, quien visitaba a mis padres en su hogar. Aunque todo el personal de enfermería realiza un trabajo increíble, me gustaría hoy centrarme en los enfermeros especializados y otros enfermeros registrados con capacitación avanzada (APRN). Ya sea en ciudades grandes, pueblos pequeños o áreas rurales, los enfermeros especializados realizan labores increíbles por las personas a las que cuidan. Han completado estudios de posgrado en áreas como la atención primaria y el cuidado de adultos mayores. Esto los capacita para atender a los adultos mayores del país en sus propios hogares y comunidades, lejos de las instituciones costosas financiadas por los contribuyentes. También se encargan de lo siguiente:

This National Nurses Week, I’d like to stop and take a moment to say thank you to all of the amazing nurses that I’m fortunate to know. Each and every day, nurses across the country use their incredible skills and compassion to provide comfort during difficult times and care when we’re at our most vulnerable. When I was caring for my parents, nurses became a critical part of our care team. Especially Nurse Sue who visited my parents in their home. While all nurses do incredible work, I’d like to focus today on nurse practitioners and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). In big cities, small towns and rural areas, alike, nurse practitioners do remarkable things for the people they serve. They’ve completed advanced education at the master’s or doctoral level, focused in areas like primary and elder care. With this training they care for older Americans in their homes and communities, keeping them out of costly, taxpayer-funded institutions. They handle:

Simmering issues important to all older Americans and their families, like health and financial security, may escalate to a full boil in many state Capitols in 2018. Facing these challenges and opportunities head-on, AARP is already exhaustively at work throughout the country, fighting for the issues that matter and driving an innovative agenda focused on commonsense solutions without the clutter of partisanship. Last year, AARP State Offices achieved huge successes, including new supports for family caregivers, greater access to home and community based services, and new ways to save for retirement. This year, we will continue to find ways to better enable more people to live and age as they choose. Among our top priorities: Supporting Family CaregiversAbout 40 million family caregivers represent the backbone of our country’s care system, providing hours of unpaid care to their loved ones every day. Over the past two years, AARP state offices have worked with state legislators and governors to enact more than 150 new laws that support these unsung heroes. In 2018, AARP will continue to support family caregivers and their loved ones by advancing laws and policies that:

During National Nurses Week, I am making a special effort to say “thank you” to all the nurses in my life, and I invite you to do the same. Each and every day, in communities across the country, nurses help their patients to get and stay well. They use their incredible skills to comfort us in difficult times and care for us when we’re at our most vulnerable.

At 40 million strong, family caregivers are the backbone of our care system, helping parents, spouses and other loved ones live independently at home — where they want to be.

This month, as state legislative sessions start kicking off across the country, AARP, too, will go to work — fighting for you and your family. In all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, we’ll be fighting to make sure your voice is heard, focusing on the key issues you’re facing front and center, in your daily life.

Every day we hear from family caregivers like Marcus, Tish and Iris about the challenges they face helping their older loved ones remain at home — where they want to be.

This month, Gov. Pete Ricketts and the Nebraska state legislature made a smart move to remove the barrier that had prevented nurse practitioners from providing complete primary care for their patients. By cutting through the red tape, these elected officials have made more primary care clinicians available for Nebraskans in a variety of settings such as at home and in the community, medical offices, businesses like Walgreens, Target and CVS, and some workplaces. Nineteen other states have similar laws in place.

My pop, like many family caregivers, used his ingenuity to solve problems. This time, Pop was trying to figure out an easier way to help my mom out of her wheelchair and into bed. Pop was in his 90s, and anything would make it easier on him. So he rigged up a ramp from cinder blocks and particle board. If he could get her chair going at the right speed and right angle, he could run up the ramp and drop her in bed. No doubt Mom was a good sport and willing passenger.