The American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) recognizes a paradigm shift represented by the volume of health care delivery flowing from episodic acute care encounters to long-term relationships. This shift presents opportunities to further recognize and prepare nurse graduates for the complex and expanded role of the ambulatory care registered nurse (RN). This position paper discusses the current state of the RN role in ambulatory care and provides a vision for the future. The paper further identifies challenges, poses possible solutions, and highlights the AAACN position on the role of the ambulatory care RN.