Council of Advanced Practitioners
Who We Are
The National Kidney Foundation’s newly formed Council of Advanced Practitioners (CAP) is a voluntary member organization designed expressly to meet the professional needs of Physician Assistants (PA), Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) who provide care to chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients throughout the United States.
PAs, NPs and CNS -- collectively termed “advanced practitioners” -- receive broad primary care training from accredited educational programs. They collaborate with physicians in providing quality care to patients across the entire continuum of kidney disease. Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists working in nephrology contribute to all points of care including hospitals, outpatient clinics and dialysis clinics, thereby increasing the availability of high quality, efficient patient care.
It is estimated that there are 1000-2000 advanced practitioners working primarily or exclusively with CKD patients. Because of the growing need to educate PAs, NPs and CNS going into nephrology, the National Kidney Foundation launched its fourth professional council in 2008 as part of its mission to continually support and elevate the level of kidney patient care.
Goals of the NKF-CAP
The goals of the Council of Advanced Practitioners are:
- To provide a diversified, advanced educational curriculum for the nephrology advanced practitioner.
- To support the growth of advanced practitioners coming to nephrology and those already in practice.
- To educate the public about this growing sector of the nephrology team.
- To advocate for health policies and legislation that support sound practice and good outcomes for kidney health professionals and patients.
The council hopes to elevate the voices of PAs, NPs and CNS in nephrology to better serve their patients, enhance their practices and educate themselves on innovations in research and patient care. CAP will represent PAs, NPs and CNS in Nephrology on a national level while continuing to connect with the broader community.
CAP will work within the NKF to educate Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists with lectures and seminars at NKF meetings directed to the advanced practitioner. It will be a resource for any advanced practitioner looking for expertise in kidney-related problems. It will continue to recruit volunteers to join NKF initiatives, including national screening programs such as the Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP).
