Reply to the following discussion in APA style, with a minimum of 200 words and 1 or more references .Just so you know, AI-generated content is not allowed, and plagiarism must be less than 20 %.

I have divided the reflection requested in this assignment into three aspects for its development, based on the points provided in the guidelines.

1. Health policies and service delivery systems

Regarding this aspect, it is important to consider that the evolution as an advanced practice nurse (APN) is intrinsically linked to a critical understanding of healthcare systems and their policies. It is a reality that structural barriers persist, such as inadequate financing models and resistance to change in hierarchical teams and legislation that restricts diagnostic autonomy, aspects that are exercised in contexts with fragmented care and limited resources. Therefore, it is agreed that the role of the APN emerges as a transformative agent capable of optimizing care in priority areas such as chronicity, mental health, and rural populations. Likewise, the full integration of the APN requires flexible systems focused on population outcomes, where our ability to manage complexity reduces inequities (Pulcini & Jelic, 2020).

2. Middle-Range Theories: Bridging the gap between science and practice

Without a doubt, these theories are part of an epistemological construct that distinguishes advanced nursing. The applicability of these theories has taught us that interventions should not only control blood glucose levels but also strengthen the patient's intrinsic motivation by supporting autonomy and competence, to give an example of a case where Self-Determination Theory is applied in the management of diabetes in patients. At the same time, these theories facilitate the guidance of clinical decisions, such as by assessing the three basic psychological needs in therapeutic adherence, by evaluating multidimensional outcomes, and by prioritizing interventions such as empowering education versus one-way instructions. Without a doubt, these theories, when applied systematically, improve outcomes such as disease self-management, reduction of readmissions, and patient satisfaction, validating that theoretical rigor is inseparable from clinical effectiveness (Smith, 2021).

3. Mentors: Catalysts for Professional Growth

This aspect is very important because it is widely believed that mentors are architects of professional identity, where their influence transcends the transfer of knowledge, ethical inspiration, and constant support. They help foster critical resilience in everyone, teaching us that clinical excellence fuses evidence, humanization, and the courage to challenge outdated structures, from observing how they integrate theories to theoretical abstractions into tangible protocols.

References

Pulcini, J., & Jelic, M. (2020). Advanced Practice Nursing: A Global Perspective (1ª ed.). Berlin: Springer Nature.

Smith, J. (2021). Middle Range Theory for Nursing (5ª ed.). Berlin: Springer Publishing.