In the future APRN will be able to function less in the capacity he/she was trained or APRN will utilize more?

An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) is a nurse who has a master's, post-master's certificate, or practice-focused doctor of nursing practice degree in one of four specific roles. APRNs are licensed through a state board of nursing to provide patient care within their role and patient population focus, and in many states have the authority to prescribe medication and practice independently without physician oversight. Though advanced practice registered nursing is an advanced subset of registered nursing, in most states the APRN license is considered separate licensing class from RN licensure.

The International Council of Nurses defines an advanced practice nurse as a registered nurse with the expert knowledge, complex decision-making skills, and clinical competencies necessary for expanded practice. This differentiates APRNs from registered nurses (RNs) in that they are capable of taking on more complex casework and handling those cases with greater independence and discretion.

For this reason, APRNs are increasingly being relied on to meet the demand for primary and specialty healthcare practitioners, especially in rural areas and other areas underserved by physicians.

Independent or full prescriptive authority allows APRNs to prescribe medications, devices, health and medical services, durable medical goods, and other equipment and supplies without physician oversight or collaboration. Limited or reduced authority requires APRNs to practice and prescribe with oversight by a physician. Depending on state law, the APRN must work within close physical proximity of a supervising doctor or can open an independent practice that is monitored remotely by a physician.

Improving access to healthcare in the coming years would bring even more positive changes to prescriptive authority, albeit slower than some would like.

As state APRN and nursing organizations and (boards of nursing) work toward (full practice authority), incremental advances provide the opportunity to improve access over time.