NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES FOR THE UNIFORMED SERVICES

An assessment was made of the need for advanced practice nurses (APNs) in the uniformed services of the Department of Defense and the United States Public Health Service. The purpose of the assessment was to determine the role of the Graduate School of Nursing (GSN) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in educating APNs for the uniformed services. The assessment focused on three categories of APNs: certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), and nurse practitioners (NPs). The assessment found that current authorizations for APNs in the three military services exceeded inventory by 192 APNs: 148 CRNAs, 4 CNMs, and 40 NPs. In addition, losses through attrition in fiscal year 1993 were 154 APNs: 97 CRNAs, 7 CNMs, and 50 NPs. Thus, there is a need for educational support to prepare APNs for the uniformed services. The GSN can usefully supplement other educational programs in meeting this need.