Advancing health globally: Seizing the moment with advanced practice nursing

Abstract

This special edition of the International Nursing Review (INR) focuses on advanced practice nursing (APN) as a transformative force in the global healthcare landscape, championing an evidence-informed, people-centred approach aimed at enhancing health outcomes and healthcare experiences across the continuum. Simultaneously, APN is designed to reduce healthcare costs, increase collaboration among healthcare providers and create a working environment that promotes individual and the healthcare team's wellbeing.Standing as beacons of opportunity, progress and potential, APNs are recognized not merely as participants but as pivotal drivers in the shift towards the realization of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Through their specialized skills and knowledge, which are based on an advanced level of education, the attributes of APNs exemplify the potential to redefine healthcare paradigms, making an indispensable contribution to the health sector and healthcare outcomes globally. APN is a rapidly emerging phenomenon that commonly encompasses the concepts of clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners and nurse midwives.