Advanced Practice Nurse Professional Development Plan

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Pages: 5

Introduction Advance Practice Nurse Professional Development Plan
A professional development plan (PDP) is a valuable tool for an Advance Practice Nurse (APN) to assist in planning, guiding and assessing one’s career goals. An essential part of a APNs education includes gaining knowledge, in regards to, the role of the APN and developing a professional plan. DeNisco and Barker (2015) stated based on the definition given by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing the term Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (ARNP) has been used to indicate master’s-prepared nurses who provide direct clinical care. The four roles of the advanced practice nurse include; Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP), Certified Registered
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(American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2011). Regardless of the role or population focus, a NP graduate should possess the nine core competencies. However, this author, according to Benner’s Self-Assessment Novice to Expert Model (2001) falls into the novice stage in this field, due to, lack of previous experience. The transition from registered nurse (RN) to nurse practitioner (NP) is a significant career role transition. During this time, there is a shift from an experienced, often expert status in the RN role to an inexperienced, novice status in the NP role (Barnes, …show more content…
In a NP role, one is able to work with and alongside a surgeon; in the office and in surgery. One fear this author harbors is the lack of clinical skills, due to, the primary focus and career spent in the periOperative area. One would hope to gain knowledge within this field of practice and become certified in this specialty. However, the state of Florida does not recognize Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), hence, there is time to gain fundamentals and smoothly transition. Three ways to cope with stress while adapting to a NP role involves exercise daily, speak to a mentor, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. The goals and objective for the first, second, and third month is to gain organizational support to ensure a smooth and successful transition period. MacLellan, Levett-Jones, and Higgins (2015) stated mentorship along with a nurturing environment may be effective strategies for increasing the NP’s self-confidence and ensuring a smooth and successful transition