The acute care nurse practitioner and management of common health problems: a proposal

Abstract

The acute care nurse practitioner, an emerging role in acute healthcare settings, is responsible for managing acutely ill patients with multiple acute and chronic health problems. There are variations in acute care nurse practitioner specialty practices but the complexity and potential progression of the acutely ill patient's status require the use of a multidisciplinary approach to patient care to include knowledge of common health problems. The acute care nurse practitioner curriculum should include course content on common health problems and/or physiological alterations, which should be prerequisites for specialty courses.