title: Advanced nursing practice: policy, education and role development.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper aims to explore the critical elements of advanced nursing practice in relation to policy, education and role development in order to highlight an optimal structure for clinical practice.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The evolution of advanced nursing practice has been influenced by changes in healthcare delivery, financial constraints and consumer demand. However, there has been wide divergence and variations in the emergence of the advanced nurse practitioner role. For the successful development and implementation of the role, policy, educational and regulatory standards are required.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The paper highlights the value of a policy to guide the development of advanced nursing practice. Educational curricula need to be flexible and visionary to prepare the advanced nurse practitioner for practice. The core concepts for the advanced nursing practice role are: autonomy in clinical practice, pioneering professional and clinical leadership, expert practitioner and researcher. To achieve these core concepts the advanced nurse practitioner must develop advanced theoretical and clinical skills, meet the needs of the client, family and the community.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a rapidly changing people-centred healthcare environment the advanced nurse practitioner can make an important contribution to healthcare delivery. The challenges ahead are many, as the advanced nurse practitioner requires policy and appropriate educational preparation to practice at advanced level. This will enable the advanced practitioner articulate the role, to provide expert client care and to quantify their contribution to health care in outcomes research.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Furlong
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D002568:Certification; D003479:Curriculum; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005544:Forecasting; D006291:Health Policy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D017145:Models, Educational; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009720:Nurse Clinicians / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D024802:Nurse's Role; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D011361:Professional Competence