A Voice for Ambulatory Care Nurses: Creation of an Ambulatory Care Professional Practice Council

Focused on the goal to advance the art and science of ambulatory care nursing across the patient care continuum, the _ _ council's purpose is to define and strengthen the role of ambulatory care nurses. The Magnet Recognition Program through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) recognizes "quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional practice" (ANCC, 2014, p.1). Furthermore, AAACN's position statement on the role of the registered nurse emphasized the importance of RNs in ambulatory care settings, and that RNs are best prepared to facilitate the functioning of inter-professional teams across the care continuum, coordinate care with patients, and mitigate the complexities in care delivery (AAACN, 2017). The question posed was "How best can ambulatory care nurses develop metrics to demonstrate their positive impact on patient outcomes?" The traditional NSIs in the inpatient world (central lineassociated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections and pressure ulcers) do not necessarily apply in the outpatient setting.