An Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) is a registered nurse with post-graduate education and training in nursing. APNs have advanced didactic and clinical education, and they are prepared to work in either a specialist or generalist capacity. They are intended to demonstrate effective integration of theory, practice, and experiences along with increasing degrees of autonomy in judgments and interventions, while remaining under physician supervision. APNs are educated and trained on specific core competencies in graduate schools, including knowledge of practice, person-centered care, population health, scholarship for nursing discipline, quality, safety, interprofessional partnerships, system-based practice, informatics, healthcare technologies, professionalism, and leadership. APNs are part of the interprofessional team providing healthcare to patients and families, depending on the area of their specialty.

APRNs (Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) is a term used interchangeably with APNs. APRNs include nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives. They hold at least a Masters degree, in addition to the initial nursing education and licensing required for all Registered Nurses (RNs). APRNs treat and diagnose illnesses, advise the public on health issues, manage chronic disease, and engage in continuous education to remain ahead of any technological, methodological, or other developments in the field. They provide and coordinate patient care in primary or specialty healthcare.

In summary, an APN or APRN is a registered nurse with advanced education and training beyond registered nurses, who has obtained at least a Masters degree in nursing and provides and coordinates patient care in primary or specialty healthcare.