Acute care nurse practitioner: an advanced practice role for RN first assistants.

Acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) are advanced practice RNs who are educationally prepared to provide advanced nursing care to patients with complex acute, critical, and chronic illness. The education of advanced practice nurses should prepare them for the setting in which they practice; ACNPs are well prepared for hospital and specialty practice, particularly if they have experience as RN first assistants (RNFAs). This article provides a brief overview of the ACNP opportunity for RNFAs and the importance of additional training for ACNPs without OR experience who may be first assisting.