Advanced practice is defined as: 

Advanced practice is a level of practice, rather than a type of practice. Advanced Nurse Practitioners are educated at Masters Level in clinical practice and have been assessed as competent in practice using their expert clinical knowledge and skills. They have the freedom and authority to act, making autonomous decisions in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Registered nurses working at this advanced level must meet the following standards. They must:

  • have an active registration with the NMC
  • practice within the four pillars
  • have a Job Plan that demonstrates advanced nursing practice and has equity with peers working at this level
  • be educated to Masters level
  • be an independent prescriber
  • meet NMC revalidation requirements
  • demonstrate autonomous evidenceAdvanced Nurse Practitioners are educated at Masters Level in clinical practice and have been assessed as competent in practice using their expert clinical knowledge and skills. They have the freedom and authority to act, making autonomous decisions in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients. Registered nurses working at an advanced level work in various health care settings, in primary, secondary and tertiary care, such as general practice, accident and emergency departments, minor injury units, medical assessment units, out of hours services and within specialties such as paediatrics, neonatal care, cancer care, ophthalmology and orthopaedics; in any setting where patients would benefit from nurses with advanced level skills and knowledge. With the integration of health and social care across the UK advanced level nurses are working beyond the NHS in the care home, independent, third and voluntary sectors too.

 

 Download the RCN Introdution to Advanced Level Nursing Practice

Advanced level nursing practice encompasses aspects of education, research and management but is firmly grounded in direct care provision. Nurses working at an advanced level use complex reasoning, critical thinking, reflection and analysis to inform their assessments, clinical judgements and decisions. They are able to apply knowledge and skills to a broad range of clinically and professionally challenging and complex situationsAn RCN advisory group in 2016 defined advanced practice as: “Advanced practice is a level of practice, rather than a type of practice. Advanced Nurse Practitioners are educated at Masters Level in clinical practice and have been assessed as competent in practice using their expert clinical knowledge and skills. They have the freedom and authority to act, making autonomous decisions in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients.”

The RCN has a credentialing process to recognise a nurse’s ability to practice at an advanced level. Credentialing is an opportunity for nurses to have their knowledge and skills formally recognised and show their expertise and skill in their clinical practice, their leadership, their education and their research. Credentialing enables nurses to enhance and develop their career prospects and to continue their personal and professional development. Credentialing provides formal recognition for each nurse, their colleagues, employers and most crucially patients and the public, of the level of expertise and skill of the individual advanced level nurse. In order to gain the credential, nurses must provide evidence they work to the four pillars of advanced practice.

The criteria for the RCN credential are:

  • • qualifications
  • • experience
  • • competence
  • • active registration with the NMC
  • • relevant master’s degree qualification
  • • non-medical prescribing rights
  • • experience and expertise mapped against the four pillars of advanced nursing:
    • clinical practice,
    • leadership,
    • education
    • research
  • • a job plan that demonstrates current advanced level practice verified by a senior nurse/employer
  • • a clinical reference verifying the applicant’s clinical competence
  • • evidence of continued professional development.

Supported E-Portfolio Route

The Supported e-Portfolio Route will provide an alternative route to do this by mapping your experience, knowledge and skills to the Multi-professional framework using the Centre’s e-Portfolio Route.

The process includes an initial online application stage where you will be asked to identify how closely you currently map to the Multi-professional framework; if you meet the eligibility criteria, you will then be allocated to an education provider (a university), and you will subsequently complete a Learning Needs Analysis and the e-Portfolio itself. If the education provider identifies that additional learning is necessary, and this can be completed within a reasonable time frame, then this will be undertaken in conjunction with the education provider.

Access The Supported E-Portfolio Route

 
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