ABSTRACT
In 1965, Dr. Henry Silver and Loretta Ford developed the role of the advanced practice nurse (APN) at the University of Colorado, after recognizing a need for nurses to perform duties previously consideredwithin the role of the physician. Nurse practitionerswere initially trained to provide primary health care to patients in rural underserved areas. Since then, the role of the APN has evolved to include the care of chronically ill children, management of hospitalized children, specialty care, and, most recently, the daily delivery of acute care. Pediatric nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have earned masters degrees in pediatric advanced practice.
