APRN hospitalist: just a resident replacement?

Over the past few years, Advanced Practice Nurses (APRNs) have expanded their role from the primary care setting to working in the intensive care and specialty care settings. APRNs had been in neonatal intensive care units for many years, but now APRNs can be found in all intensive care settings managing critically ill patients. In the specialty setting, APRNs have the responsibility of managing the care of patients with specific illnesses in an outpatient and inpatient basis. They have become integral parts to a team of care providers with the goal of enhancing patient care and creating a more efficient means of delivering care during times of limited resources ( Derengowski, 2000 Derengowski S.L Defining the role of the pediatric nurse practitioner in the tertiary care center. Critical Care Medicine. 2000; 28: 2626-2630 Crossref PubMed Scopus (24) Google Scholar , Ingersoll, 1995 Ingersoll G.L Evaluation of the advanced practice nurse role in the acute and specialty care. Critical Care Nursing of North America. 1995; 7: 25-33 PubMed Google Scholar ).