Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

In an article from the August 2015 issue titled “The Evolving Role of Advanced Practice Nurses in the Outpatient Wound Clinic,” the author refers to advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) as “mid-level providers.” The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) issued a position statement in 2009 regarding the use of this type of terminology when referring to APRNs, which has since been endorsed by many national nursing associations. In this statement, the use of terms such as “mid-level provider,” “limited license provider,” “non-physician provider,” or “physician extender” are regarded as inappropriate and limiting to the future of the APRN profession. These terms may insinuate that an APRN’s knowledge base, scope of practice, and skills are inferior to that of other types of providers. APRNs are advanced practice providers trained in differential diagnosis, are able to prescribe/order treatments and medications, and possess the skills to care for patients on the spectrum from wellness to acute illness — inclusive of disease prevention and health promotion. What we can do as APRNs is very powerful: The Institute of Medicine has cited APRNs as achieving outstanding patient outcomes and increasing access to care while decreasing overall cost of care.

For more information, please visit www.aanp.org/images/documents/publications/useofterms.pdf

Sincerely,

Samantha Kuplicki, BSN, RN, CWS, CWCN, CFCN
MSN-adult gerontology clinical nurse specialist/APRN student
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing, Class of 2016