Procedure Skills and Job Functions of Acute Care Nurse Practitioners in Florida

Objective. This study was designed to determine the procedure skills and job functions unique to the role of the acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) in the state of Florida and to compare these findings to those obtained in a 2001 national survey of the same skills. Background. The specialization role of ACNP was established in 1993. Continuous role clarification is needed. Nursing faculty struggle with the appropriate skill set to include in the ANCP curriculum. Employers are unsure as to how to best use these specially trained nurses. Students entering the ACNP programs have preconceived expectations regarding the skills they will learn and use in their future employment. Methods. All identified nationally certified ACNPs in the state of Florida were approached. Procedure skills and job functions were assessed by means of a list of 56 items to which the participant could respond yes/no with yes indicating the item was a typical component of their job. Results. A total of 110 invitations were sent out and 44 (40%) individuals responded. A frequency summary table was constructed for each of the 56 items. Any item which achieved a yes response a minimum frequency of 51% was retained to define the role. Conclusion. The ACNPs practicing in Florida report using a skill set very similar to those practiced nationally in 2001 but with a higher frequency for advanced and invasive procedures.