Advanced practice nursing nurses working in advanced practice roles the clinical nurse specialist cns and nurse practitioner np meet the complex health needs of canadians in a wide variety of settings and contribute to the development of a sustainable efficient and effective health system. Advanced practice nursing is the patient focused application of an expanded range of competencies to improve health outcomes for patients and populations in a specialized clinical area of the larger description of nursing hamric ann core competencies of advanced practice nursing o direct clinical practice central to all the other competencies o guidance and coaching . According to the international council of nurses advanced nursing practice is a field of nursing that extends and expands the boundaries of nursings scope of practice contributes to nursing knowledge and promotes the advancement of the profession. Properly referred to as advanced practice registered nurses aprns advanced practice nurses provide and coordinate patient care and they may provide primary and specialty health care according to the bureau of labor statistics