APRN ROLES 2
My Role as an Advanced Practice Nurse
The nursing position provides numerous opportunities for personal and professional
fulfilment. However, I have found patient care to be the most gratifying. My most significant
achievement as nurse and perhaps what reinforced my resolve to pursue the nursing
profession came back in high school. A classmate was hit by a drunk driver who then sped
off leaving her helpless. I was the first responder and got to the scene to find her badly
injured, unconscious and heavily bleeding. I called emergency services and explained the
situation. The responder asked me to assess the situation and guided me through the first aid
process to control the bleeding from a broken leg before the ambulance arrived. I was greatly
impressed by my calmness and focus in the pressure of the situation. On arrival to the ER, a
nurse informed me that they were thoroughly impressed by my work as I had done exactly
what was required. Given the nature of the patient’s injury, they were even surprised I had
not done anything to aggravate the situation. At this moment, I felt the gratification of having
made such an important difference and it was not comparable to other achievements. I have
chosen the nursing profession because I find it as an active way to apply my abilities for the
wellbeing of fellow humans. In fact, Gray 2016 observes that I will not only be able to
provide the necessary nursing care, but also bring on board innovation, leadership, research,
and education (Gray, 2016).
To fulfill my goal to become a nurse practitioner, I will be required to first attain
some educational and experience standards to ascertain that I meet the necessary standards of
expertise to carry out this role. First, I will be required to be a holder of a Master of Science
in Nursing – and all its prerequisites – to apply for certification. At the certification stage,
Mohr and Coke 2018 note that I will be required to take and pass an APRN exam to be
accorded the APN rights (Mohr & Coke, 2018). In Florida, I can qualify for certification
