Outcomes research in advanced practice nursing selecting an outcome.

APNs should investigate outcomes that will enhance patient care and contribute to building nursing knowledge and science; however, APNs should also consider addressing and including into their daily activities outcomes that are of interest to governmental, accreditation, and not-for-profit groups. APNs can accomplish this in a number of ways within the numerous roles from which they practice. APNs practicing as clinical nurse specialists can incorporate these outcomes into hospital based quality improvement or management activities in which they already routinely initiate or participate. Additionally, in their roles as role model or educator they can provide their professional nursing colleagues with a clear understanding of these outcomes and their importance to patient care and the institution's success. And finally, in their role as acute care nurse practitioners, APNs can seek to measure and benchmark their own performance on many of these measures. Active participation in measuring, reporting, and improving the outcomes addressed within this article will help ensure that all patients achieve a minimum consistent level of quality outcomes. Of equal importance, however, is that by being active partners in achieving these outcomes, APNs will further enhance recognition of the vital role nursing plays in improving the quality of care provided to all Americans by our healthcare system.