An ANP stands for Advanced Practice Nurse, which is a nurse with post-graduate education and training in nursing. ANPs have authority in patient diagnosis and are trusted to independently assess, diagnose, manage, and care for patients with complex clinical issues. They can work within emergency, primary, and acute settings, and have a higher level of education and experience than most other nurses. The specific titles, credentials, and post-nominal initials used by advanced practice nurses will vary greatly by country, state, and educational level. Some examples of post-nominal initials include:

• ACNP: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
• AGACNP: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
• ANP: Adult Nurse Practitioner
• APHN: Advanced Public Health Nurse

The route to becoming an ANP is longer than other types of nursing, as it requires extensive education and training. The first step in becoming an ANP is to become a nurse and completing your bachelor’s degree. The next steps are to complete a masters level in clinical practice and obtain certification. ANPs are not a replacement for doctors, but they can be a great help as part of a multi-disciplinary team, making sure that the doctor’s precious time is kept for what is most important, caring for the patients with the most urgent or complex of needs, those coming to the end of life, or those who just need a bit of extra time.