Advanced practice 101: a "PERLL" for practice.

Abstract

As advanced practice nursing students begin and continue their programs of study, they are often asked, "What is an advanced practice nurse, and what are the distinguishing characteristics?" For many students, articulating an answer is somewhat difficult, and some even fumble. Therefore, we have developed an acronym to help students organize their thinking in answering these questions. This acronym is a useful tool to help students discuss the characteristics of advanced practice nurses in an organized and well-thought-out manner, keeping in mind that some of these talking points should be customized to the individual state or regional requirements for advanced practice nursing.