What is the difference between a nurse clinician and advanced practice nurse?

Answer 1

RNs are sometimes referred to as nurse clinicians and advanced practice nurses or APRNs work in concert to achieve the same mission: competent and compassionate patient care. However, the roles in achieving this mission are generally distinct. RNs deliver direct patient care as specified in a patient’s medical plan, while APRNs create this patient care plan alongside other advanced practice providers, and supervise other medical staff, including RNs and medical assistants. APRNs also generally have broader patient oversight, in that they often have a larger patient load than do RNs, and may have longer-term relationships with patients, depending on the medical setting. For example, APRNs in primary care settings can often serve as the primary care provider for a set of patients, and therefore may work with a given patient for months, if not years.