Introduction to Advanced Practice Nursing

NUR1170 lays a strong scholarly, practice-oriented, and skills-based foundation for the program and future professional practice as an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). Learners will begin to explore and understand the complexity, breadth, and in-depth knowledge required to respond to the health needs of individuals, families, groups, communities and populations in advanced practice roles. The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) has identified core competencies required of APNs in the document Advanced Nursing Practice: A Pan-Canadian Framework (CNA, 2019) as well as core competencies specific to the Clinical Nurse Specialist role (CNA, 2014). These two frameworks are used in the course in addition to multiple sources of scholarly literature and contemporary ideas of advanced nursing practice. This course specifically provides learners with opportunities to begin to develop the knowledge, skills, judgment, and personal attributes to enact the role of an APN.The course includes a practicum placement of a minimum 30 hours with an APN in any one of the following health care delivery settings: acute care hospitals, the community, long-term care, or complex continuing care. The practicum placement should align with the individual student’s learning goals and future career goals and focus on the multifaceted breadth of skills needed for advanced nursing practice.