Twenty-eight years of experience measuring autonomy using the Dempster Practice Behavior Scale.

Background: Autonomy in practice is an important attribute of all professions and a cornerstone of advanced nursing practice. The Dempster Practice Behavior Scale was conceptualized, constructed, and psychometrically tested to make available a generalizable, empirically sound, and useful tool capable of measuring previously unrecognized dimensions of autonomy in practice. Nurse practitioner (NP) practice continues to evolve as new models of care emerge, requiring more autonomy in the NP role.

Professional organization membership: Advancing the nurse practitioner role.

With a paucity of literature on professional organization membership by nurse practitioners (NPs), the authors base the discussion of the personal benefits associated with membership on literature focusing on clinicians other than NPs and their personal experiences as members of multiple organizations. Membership is described as related to NP socialization, engagement, networking, mentorship, advocacy, policy, leadership development, research dissemination, professional development, and volunteerism. In addition to encouraging active participation in one or more professional organizations, the need for research into factors influencing the degree to which NPs participate in organizations and the associated benefits is identified.

Effective professional networking.

The reasons for nurse practitioners to develop a professional network are boundless and are likely to change over time. Networking opens doors and creates relationships that support new opportunities, personal development, collaborative research, policy activism, evidence-based practice, and more. Successful professional networking involves shared, mutually beneficial interactions between individuals and/or individuals and groups, regardless of whether it occurs face to face or electronically.

Nurse Practitioner Research Agenda Roundtable, October 2015.

This is a report of the 2015 nurse practitioner (NP) Research Agenda Roundtable hosted by the Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. A consensus was reached on four major categories where the need for research is greatest: 1) policy and regulation, 2) practice models, 3) education, and 4) workforce. Specific gaps in the existing body of research on NPs as essential elements of the broader health care environment were identified.

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners National Nurse Practitioner sample survey: focus on acute care.

National survey data on the practice of nurse practitioners (NPs) provides valuable information on role components, practice patterns, and specialty practice descriptions. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) has been conducting NP surveys since 1988. The most recent AANP Sample Survey was conducted in 2009-2010 with responses from over 13,000 NPs, 962 of who were acute care NPs (ACNPs).

Acute cough: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

Background: Acute cough is one of the most common complaints prompting patient visits to healthcare professionals. Despite the broad repercussions of acute cough on patient quality of life, school and work productivity, and public health resources, research on this condition is minimal, as are the available treatment options. Many patients use over-the-counter medicines, which are often ineffective for symptom relief.

The clinical nurse leader: promoting patient-centered outcomes.

In 2004, a 551-bed nonprofit hospital launched a pilot of the unit-based clinical nurse leader (CNL) role to support staff nurses and their patients. Thus far, the role has demonstrated great promise in promoting individual patient-centered outcomes, although the pilot has identified potential adaptations to enhance aggregate outcomes. These include decreasing the patient-to-CNL ratio, increasing CNL availability to 7 days a week, and reconsidering whether to fill CNL positions with nurses who were prepared as nurse practitioners.

Migraine headaches.

Migraine headaches are the source of significant disability for many individuals and their management can present a considerable clinical challenge. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and American College of Physicians--American Society of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM) "Pharmacologic Management of Acute Attacks of Migraine and Prevention of Migraine Headaches," provides a succinct, evidence-based resource for primary care nurse practitioners. In addition to reviewing this clinical practice guideline, this column describes related supporting documents.

Diagnosis and treatment of heel pain.

The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAC) clinical practice guideline (CPG) summarizes the literature on the assessment and diagnosis of heel pain. The framework classifies heel pain depending on whether the cause is mechanical, neurological, arthritic, traumatic, or from another origin. Treatment strategies are included for the most common form of heel pain that are caused by mechanical problems.

2001-2002 AANP national nurse practitioner practice site survey.

Between October 2001 and February 2002, AANP implemented the National NP Practice Site Survey. The purpose of the survey was to describe the general U.S.

Screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of hepatic injury.

Although prophylactic vaccines and a better screened blood supply have contributed to a decreased incidence of viral hepatitis, liver injury remains a common problem. It is important that nurse practitioners know which patients are at risk for hepatic injury, when and how to screen for hepatic injury, and how to monitor patients diagnosed with hepatic damage. The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry guidelines related to hepatic injury provide a framework for the screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of hepatic injury resulting from a variety of causes.

Policy on acute toxic ingestion or dermal or inhalation exposure.

Many nurse practitioners (NPs) practice in emergency and urgent-care settings, and far more practice in remote settings. NPs in each of these settings should be familiar with the assessment, stabilization, and treatment of patients who seek treatment for suspected intentional or accidental poisoning. This month's clinical practice guideline (CPG) column reviews the "Clinical Policy for the Initial Approach to Patients Presenting With Acute Toxic Ingestion or Dermal or Inhalation Exposure.