Please address the following question limiting your essay to two pages using a double spaced, 12 point font and 1 inch margins that are easily read. The essay will be evaluated on the basis of ability to follow instructions, writing/composition, clarity of thought and your response. There is an evolution taking place in health care that is redefining what it means to be an advanced practice nurse or nurse scientist. Recent changes in health care policy, the increase in chronic disease, and an aging population are a few of the major shifts placing advanced practice nurses at the forefront of health care. These changes are coupled with a national movement in nursing education to require nurses to be educated at increasingly higher levels.  Why do you think it is important for nurses to pursue higher education than they have in the past?  How do you think this shift in nursing will affect your career as a nurse?  How does your personality align in your decision to pursue a career in nursing? What do you understand the role of CRNA to be and how prepared are you to pursue this role?