What is an ANP?
Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) are registered nurses who have undergone a 3-year Masters level Advanced Clinical Practice programme, and have registered their independent prescribing qualification with the NMC.
The care they give will align to the 4 pillars of advanced practice:
- Clinical practice
- Facilitating learning
- Leadership
- Evidence, research and development
The role itself may vary from practice to practice depending on local needs, however ANPs will typically provide acute services within a practice e.g.:
- Triage
- Minor ailment and injury treatment
- General acute medical consultations
- Prescribing of medication
- Referrals
They may also provide specialist medical services e.g.:
- Advanced diabetes care
- Advanced respiratory care
- Sexual health and contraception care e.g. fitting and removing of coils and implants
- Minor surgery
- Research
They will also provide a leadership role within their practice or PCN and mentor junior staff members and trainee ANPs.
Although the ANP qualification itself is not recorded on the NMC register for the individual nurse, the RCN are developing a system of quality assurance, called credentialling, for ANP training and qualifications.
The professional standards of practice and behaviour contained within the NMC Code apply to the ANP role. This includes the sections on recognising and working within the limits of competence and the standards regarding keeping clear and accurate records. The ANP should be:
- included in communication with the local medicines management team and have opportunity to review their own prescribing practice (such as the rate of antibiotic prescribing) and whether it is in line with local guidelines.
- supported by the practice to stay up to date to fulfil the requirements of NMC re-registration (including revalidation) and part of a system of appraisal to identify and address future learning needs.
- supported within the practice and have a system for seeking help when necessary, from a medical colleague. Ongoing clinical supervision may include reviewing patient consultation records and audit of the ANP's practice to benchmark against established best practice.
The Training Hub can offer support for ANPs to develop their skills at all stages of their career. This includes:
- Funding support for specialist qualifications e.g. spirometry, sexual health diploma, etc.
- Development of and access to leadership programmes
- Nurse Education Forums to deliver essential CPD.
