advanced practice nurse (APN), a registered nurse having education beyond the basic nursing education and certified by a nationally recognized professional organization in a nursing specialty, or meeting other criteria established by a Board of Nursing in the United States or the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) in Canada. The Board of Nursing or CNA establishes rules specifying which professional nursing organization certifications can be recognized for advanced practice nurses and sets requirements of education, training, and experience. Kinds include certified nurse-midwife, nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner.
