Thoughts of Becoming an APNP
Susan Chen
Alverno College

Thoughts of Becoming an APNP As I picture myself in the role of an Advanced Practice Nurse I see myself working in a primary care setting in an area of most need. I see my role as providing comprehensive care and promoting wellness in a community where healthcare has been on the back burner for many years not only by the healthcare community but also by the community itself. I am hoping that by being a strong advocate for those who have had difficulty advocating for themselves that I will also be able to pass my attitudes and caring on to others who provide care for this group of people.
I see my role as the nurse practitioner as being a primary care provider working in collaboration with an entire team to provide the best possible outcome for the patient by utilizing all available resources. I want to work in a community health center where this can and is being done. Those served by the community health center are in desperate need of health care, quality health care. These patients have not had insurance up until the institution of the Affordable Care Act and have been treated poorly, if treated at all, in our current health care settings. My role as their primary care provider will be one of providing quality, comprehensive care along with the health teaching they so desperately need.
Working with physicians and Nurse Practitioners in the community health center I work in now I am able to evaluate the differences in their care. Physicians are needed for diagnosing and managing the most difficult of the illnesses and diseases but the nurse practitioners manage the patient. The difference, in my opinion, is that by managing the patient the nurse practitioner is able to get a more thorough and correct history, thus leading to different diagnoses and ultimately better patient outcomes. I want to be