APRN and State Regulations
Instructions
- Develop a personal philosophy and framework acknowledging professional and accrediting agency competencies relating to the role and scope of practice of the family nurse practitioner. Identify a nurse theorist that you align your current/ planned practice and how they provide the foundation for this philosophy development.
- Describe the type of educational courses and professional requirements required for APRN professional certification and licensing within the state that you will practice.
- Identify the precise application process for your certification exam, your state regulations for application for prescriptive authority/practice, and issues related to APRN practice within your state.
- Evaluate and discuss APRN roles and prescriptive privileges and impact on client safety and care
- Compare the differences between prescriptive authority, credentialing, and clinical privileges and how each of these impact client safety and care
- Evaluate the development of the advanced practice nurse role from a global perspective.
Assignment Guidelines:
- 1200 – 1500 word paper (this word-count does not include the cover page and references)
- Required APA 7th edition for references and citations
- Include a minimum of 6 scholarly references (does not include text or websites) and the majority of references must not be older than 5 years
- Demonstrate analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information (see the rubric for specifics)
Sample Answer
APRN and State Regulation
Different states have different regulations concerning the practice of APRNs. Understanding these regulations is crucial in discharging effective care to patients while avoiding legal issues that may arise from non-compliance. This paper will elaborate on some of the regulatory requirements and other issues concerning credentialing, role, and practice of APRNs.
Personal Philosophy and Framework
My philosophy in nursing is to provide effective care, allowing patients to achieve full functionality in meeting their personal life goals. FNPs require to discharge care in a manner that enhances the patient experience and population health outcomes. This goes a long way in creating prosperous communities. One of the nurse theorists I identify with is Imogene King. Imogene King is a nurse theorist well known for developing the Theory of Goal Attainment.
The theory focuses on the interpersonal relationship between the nurse and the patient, where their relationship is aimed at helping the patient grow and achieve their personal life goals (Adib-Hajbaghery & Tahmouresi, 2018). The essence of nurses is to provide care in a manner that will enhance the well-being of patients allowing them full functionality to achieve their life goals. This is especially true in psychiatric nursing, taking the example of patients facing substance use disorders where we help them regain control of their lives.
Educational Courses and Professional Requirements Required for APRN Professional Certification and Licensing in Florida.
Florida Board of Nursing determines the state’s guidelines on APRN licensure. Starting with the educational requirements, the board requires one to have at least a Master’s in Nursing Science (MSN) post-graduate certificate or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to qualify as an APRN. The MSN program can align to any given specialty recognized by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. For professional certification, one has to at least be a registered nurse (RN) in Florida or any other approved jurisdiction (Florida Board of Nursing, n.d.).
Order your Paper Now and get a Similar A Paper delivered to your email on time
Application Process for the Certification Exam
According to the certification procedures outlined by the American Nurses Certification Center (ANCC) (n.d.), the first step to taking the certification exam is to confirm eligibility. There are two items that one needs to have before sitting for the exam, that is an RN license and a master’s in nursing, a post-graduate certificate, or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Additionally, the examiner needs to pay the examination fee. The second step is to apply for the exams, which can be done online. The third step is to submit the required education verification documents. Lastly, the examiner will take the test in a Prometric test center or via live remote proctoring.
For APRNs operating in Florida, they have to show proof of national advanced practice certification from an approved nursing board. The APRN should have an active Florida RN license or multistate license from an approved jurisdiction. The APRN must also have at least a master’s degree certificate in a clinical specialty area (Florida Board of Nursing, n.d.). One of the issues still facing APRNs in Florida is practice restriction. Florida is still a restricted practice state. This means that APRNs must work under the direct supervision of physicians, otherwise, they cannot discharge care to the full extent of their training and education.
This comes at a time when the state is still facing a shortage of primary physicians which could be offset by allowing nurse practitioners to practice to the full extent of their training and education (Unruh et al., 2018).
APRN Roles and Prescriptive Privileges
APRNs training and experience put them in a core position as advocates and protectors of patient safety and quality care. It is the role of APRNs to record and maintain accurate patients’ medical records that will help effect safe and quality care. This includes medical history, records on symptoms, treatment, including prescription, and any other relevant information that could be used to effect safe and quality care (Oyeleye, 2019). APRNs are trained to provide effective treatment plans including pharmacological interventions, for most drug classes, treating different health problems without requiring a physician’s approval.
However, these privileges vary from state to state. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (2020) in their statement reaffirms that the authorization of NPs to prescribe legend and medication is essential in the provision of timely, quality, and cost-effective care. In alignment with the prescriptive privileges, it is the role of the APRN to educate the patient on proper medication use, including possible side effects and prevention of misuse to safeguard the patient’s safety while ensuring the treatment intervention is effective (Germack, 2021).
It is also the role of APRNs to assess and compare different treatment modalities considering their benefits and risks and selecting the best intervention that matches the patient’s needs and preferences in line with patient-centered care. ARNPs also have a role in ensuring that all ethical and legal guidelines are adhered to when providing patient care and conducting research. Using ethical principles such as beneficence and non-maleficence ensures that patient safety is given priority at all times during treatment and even clinical research.
Prescriptive Authority, Credentialing, and Clinical Privileges
The prescriptive authority of all APRNs in the US is regulated by the respective state nursing boards (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2020). Therefore, the privileges vary from state to state. In some states where full practice autonomy is accepted, APRNs are given the prescriptive authority equal to that of a physician while in others, APRNs require the supervision of physicians to provide prescriptions to patients (Germack, 2021). However, it is anticipated that as time goes by, APRNs will continue gaining increased autonomy in prescriptive authority, especially in states that still have restricted practice. Nonetheless, APRNs, just like physicians are aware that patient-centeredness and safety should be given priority when providing prescriptions.
Credentialing is the process of ascertaining whether an APRN or any other healthcare worker has the qualifications, which include training and experience to provide effective, quality, and safe care to patients in accordance with their respective line of specialty (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2020). This is a critical process in safeguarding the quality and safety of care. If the credentialing process is flawed, it means that unqualified APRNs will find themselves in the healthcare system which will compromise patient safety. Clinical privileges, entail the permission to provide care to patients in line with one’s training, education competence, professional license, and experience.
Ascertaining the clinical privileges of APRNs ensures that nurse practitioners provide care as per their role, specialty, and expertise, thus, enhancing the quality and safety of care. For APRNs, just like prescriptive authority, clinical privileges are determined by the relevant state boards of nursing.
Development of APRN Role from a Global Perspective
Globally, APRNs continue to play a critical role in shaping and providing quality, effective, and safe care. The APRN roles continue to shift as their position within the healthcare delivery spectrum continues to be appreciated against the rising healthcare needs. For example, APRNs are increasingly taking up their role in policy-making, given their diverse understanding and experience in healthcare-related matters (Moore et al., 2020). Most of the systemic issues experienced within the healthcare system, including existing disparities can only be solved through a policy approach. The input of APRNs in the policy-making process continues to play an integral role in providing effective policy solutions.
The APRN role as patient and nurse advocates is also gaining traction especially in dealing with systemic and organizational issues that plague the healthcare systems across the world. APRNs advocate for quality and safe care and at the same time quality work conditions for nurses to discharge their duties. Through training, expertise, and education in advocacy, APRNs act as the voice and representatives of patients and nurses not only as policy-makers as earlier discussed but also as educators and through their efforts in research.
Conclusion
This paper has discussed various elements concerning the regulation, credentialing, and roles of APRNs. APRN roles continue to develop in light of the rising challenges faced by the healthcare system. Removing practice restrictions in restricted states like Florida will allow APRNs to discharge their mandate to the full extent with respect to their education, training, and expertise in providing safe and effective care. Nonetheless, it is critical for APRNs to understand the scope of practice in their respective states to avoid any legal or ethical issues that may occur when discharging patient care.
References
Adib-Hajbaghery, M., & Tahmouresi, M. (2018). Nurse–patient relationship based on the Imogene King’s theory of goal attainment. Nursing and Midwifery Studies, 7(3), 141. doi: 10.4103/2322-1488.235636
American Nurses Certification Center (n.d.). Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) Certification https://www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications/family-nurse-practitioner/
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2020). Are You Considering a Career as a Family Nurse Practitioner? https://www.aanp.org/news-feed/are-you-considering-a-career-as-a-family-nurse-practitioner
Florida Board of Nursing. (n.d). Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) https://floridasnursing.gov/nursing-faqs/advanced-practice-registered-nurse-aprn/
Germack, H. D. (2021). States should remove barriers to advanced practice registered nurse prescriptive authority to increase access to treatment for opioid use disorder. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 22(2), 85-92. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527154420978720
Moore, C., Kabbe, A., Gibson, T. S., & Letvak, S. (2020). The pursuit of nurse practitioner practice legislation: a case study. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 21(4), 222-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527154420957259
Oyeleye, O. A. (2019). Examining board discipline of nurse practitioners for medical records infractions. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 15(9), 613-617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2019.06.009
Unruh, L., Rutherford, A., Schirle, L., & Brunell, M. L. (2018). Benefits of less restrictive regulation of advance practice registered nurses in Florida. Nursing Outlook, 66(6), 539-550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2018.09.002
Jermaine Byrant
Nicole Johnson
OVER
RATING
YEARS
