Acute care nurse practitioner practice: results of a 5-year longitudinal study.

The role of acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) has developed in capacity. More than 3500 advanced practice nurses have been certified as ACNPs, and the number of practice settings where these professionals work is continually expanding. Beginning in 1996, a series of surveys were conducted of nurse practitioners seeking national certification as ACNPs. What started as an attempt to gather information on the role of ACNPs evolved into a national 5-year longitudinal survey of ACNP practice. The cumulative results of the project are reported, and how the role of the ACNP was established in advanced practice nursing is discussed.