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I knew I was in trouble when I asked, in my last semester of graduate school, "How do we sign our name when we graduate?" Three nursing professors, all doctorally or masters prepared, huddled together in the front of the room to discuss the question prior to giving an answer. Little did I know that this was just the beginning of the stirring of the alphabet soup pot.
An Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) is a Registered Nurse (RN) who has completed an advanced nursing educational program and has achieved national certification from an approved certifying body. So the APN generally has a master's degree in nursing and is certified in the clinical category and specialty for that degree. The APN can use the initials signifying the degree or degrees held and the initials of the nursing specialty such as Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP), Pediatric Clinical Specialist (PCS), and Gerontological Nurse Practitioner (GNP). Even though these initials have no legal standing, they enrich, but also, increase confusion...