American Academy of Nurse Practitioners National Nurse Practitioner sample survey: focus on acute care.

National survey data on the practice of nurse practitioners (NPs) provides valuable information on role components, practice patterns, and specialty practice descriptions. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) has been conducting NP surveys since 1988. The most recent AANP Sample Survey was conducted in 2009-2010 with responses from over 13,000 NPs, 962 of who were acute care NPs (ACNPs). This article reports on the findings of the 2009-2010 AANP National NP Sample Survey related to ACNP practice.