Direct and Indirect Advanced Nursing Practice (Essay Sample)

Direct and Indirect Advanced Nursing Practice
(Student’s Name)
(Institution)
Direct and Indirect Advanced Nursing Practice
The direct and indirect advanced practice roles develop, in theory, the generalist basis that prepares nursing practice students to undertake both indirect and direct healthcare roles. Direct care nurses can practice in the advance role that involves a nurse educator after attaining graduate level education. Indirect care nurses should also attain advanced knowledge after receiving training by a nurse educator in their specialty (Andrews & Roberts, 2003). This means that both direct and indirect advanced nursing practice require nurse educators. An important aspect of advance level nursing practice for both direct and indirect modes is the registration of the nurses. Nurses in the advanced role should perform a leadership role due to their capacity to execute and communicate both written and oral practice knowledge.
Possessing nursing practice competencies in informatics requires the abilities of gathering, storing, retrieving, and disseminating data, knowledge, wisdom, and information appropriate to nursing practice. Education and competence in nursing informatics are necessary for all nurses to ensure that they maintain effective and safe practices. Several guidelines exists to describe the distinct nursing competencies despite the scarcity of resources to determine the degree of individual nurse competence in a given area (Gardner & Gardner, 2005). The pursuit of advanced education helps in identifying the nursing informatics competency areas and promotes the development of nursing practice. Nursing practice students should possess the appropriate tools to assess the level of competence of individuals in informatics with the aim of improving nursing practice outcomes and enhancing the effectiveness and safety of patient care.
Estimates show that over 3 million nurses currently practice in America and need to have effective communication skills using innovative information systems. The nursing profession utilizes technology extensively and requires nurses to possess the appropriate university and continuing nursing education programs focused on informatics competency to facilitate the development of effective practice. Nursing practice is generally based on gathering, storing, retrieving, and utilizing, data, knowledge, and information. Nursing practice students must attain competency in all these areas to enhance patient care. Nurses will utilize technology extensively to facilitate information management and the execution of clinical decisions. This means that the development and execution of technology is important in the nursing practice and highlights the need for nurses to pursue or advance their education in terms of acquiring the appropriate behavior, skills, and knowledge for practice.
The direct and indirect advanced nursing roles are interdependent because without the direct care role, the indirect one would serve no useful purpose in implementing information, administration, and education. Conversely, the direct advanced nursing practice would not exist in the absence of the indirect nursing care role because the former would not have adequate access to the appropriate technology, information and training to practice and advance in the nursing profession. The direct and indirect advanced nursing care practice are significantly different in terms of the professional competencies needed to realize the responsibilities of practice as stipulated in national guidelines. The direct advanced care nursing practice roles adhere to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) that provides the scope and parameters of practice. Direct care nurses focus on population compared to indirect care nurses that are rather broad in their specialty (Cranberry & Flemming, 2009). Another major difference is that direct care nurses are hands on in providing patient care but can also provide indirect roles like education, administration, and informatics in certain circumstances. Similarities and Differences In Implementation Informatics Competencies