Nurse Practitioner Program

Healthcare systems and the way safe, quality health care is delivered are continually changing to better serve patients and communities. Professional nursing practice is a large component in the healthcare system today. Back in the 1960s, professional nursing leaders tried to adopt the bachelor degree programs as the only educational track to become a registered nurse (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). Due to nursing shortages and demands this motive did not hold fast. Individuals entering the nursing profession today must first decide which educational pathway to take to become a Registered Nurse (RN).

In order to practice as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) in Indiana you must hold a state registered nursing license complete a master 's program with certain course requirements. According to NursingLicensure.com (n.d.) there are two educational options leading to Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) recognition in Indiana: obtain a master 's degree or higher in nursing, or obtain a bachelor 's degree in nursing plus national certification. There is not a specific application to become a NP unless you are also pursuing prescriptive authority. Most laws in Indiana focus on regulating practice of nurse practitioners center around prescribing.

In the traditional health care model, formal learning is not complete when a physician receives their medical degree and white coat at the end of their academic program. Medical school graduates are required to complete an accredited hospital residency program to become licensed to practice medicine, (Jolly, Erikson, & Garrison, 2013). However, acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) are not afforded, nor expected to complete, the same educational requirements. The current expectation that a new graduate ACNP learn their advanced nursing role “on-the-job” is unacceptable and leads to decreased job satisfaction and preparedness. In the every-changing climate of health care, the development of required residency programs for ACNPs should be maintained as a priority.

Advanced practice nurses have core competencies that are similar or are specific to each specialization defined as an advanced practice. The profession of nursing presents favorable circumstances for nurses to specialize in roles with distinct responsibilities and opportunities to contribute to the function of a health care industry with growing demands and complexity. The profession of nursing continues to debate to whom the title advanced practice nurse applies to. Examination of the core concept frame works described by nurse leaders and professional organizations tend to either support or refute the argument related to the use of the term, advanced practice nurse for nursing administrators and educators. For the purpose of this paper the author will explore the core competency similarities and differences of a nurse practitioner and a nurse educator. Nurse educators and nurse practitioners are registered nurses that possess advanced education, skills, and experience. Each specialty nurse has defined scopes of practice with distinct sets of responsibilities, requirements, and skills. Each role represents distinct educational requirements and activities that contribute to the complex and diverse health care industry.

Health care is a fundamental element to sustaining the welfare of our society. The ability to become a student in the Grand Canyon University (GCU), Master of Science in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program, takes me one step closer to being able to achieve my dream of playing a vital role in helping our society towards disease prevention. My experience in the acute care setting has reinforced my passion in disease prevention and health preservation. My short term goal is to be able to successfully complete the required course work. Secondly, I want to be able to acquire the necessary certifications to be able to practice as a FNP. The program at GCU will provide me with the knowledge, and skills I will need to effectively develop my role. The long term goal I have set for myself is to reach the Doctorate level degree at some point in my career. I would like to practice at an independent level and have my own practice in

Since the capstone project started early on beginning of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, I was able to discuss and work personally with Dr. Spicer as my practice mentor in selecting the appropriate topic for my project. Dr. Spicer was very involved in choosing my second option for new capstone project # 1 related to simulation lab and faculty teaching and learning. The patient simulation laboratory (SIM lab) uses state-of-the-art equipment that provides students and faculty with the opportunity to tackle real-life scenarios in a safe and supported environment. Further, I learned that active learning involves the faculty through participation and investment in exploring content knowledge in all phases of the learning process. It requires educational activities that provide faculty with the opportunity to engage actively in courses and respond to the learning situation.

A nationwide shortage of physicians in the mid-1960s gave way to the development of the nation’s first master’s degree curriculum in Nurse Practitioner at the University of Colorado’s School of Nursing in 1965 (Egenes & Burgess, 2001). The nurse practitioner movement was greatly influenced by the social movements of the 1960s and 70s, including the women’s and civil rights movements. By the 1970s, nurse practitioner preparation increased in graduate programs nationwide and the provision of primary care by nurse practitioners became widely accepted. Women of various racial and ethnic groups were finally allowed entry into nursing education programs after the Nurse Training Acts of 1975 and 1980. The physician shortages of the 1970s became a surplus in the 1980s, and Nurse Practitioners and APNs felt the need to increase scientific rigor to establish their continued value as PCPs (Frellick, 2011). In 1993, The American College of Nurse Practitioners was formed to further lobby and advocate for the needs of Nurse Practitioners (Egenes & Burgess, 2001).

A1. The nursing profession has evolved significantly over the decades. One of the factors that have greatly influenced these changes has been the involvement of nurses in the development of theories and data base needed to support the advancement of our profession. In the last half of the twentieth century, nurse researchers (1950s) and nurse theorists (1960s and 1970s) greatly contributed to the expanding body of nursing knowledge with their studies of nursing practice and the development of nursing models and theories (American Nurses Association, 2010, p. 16). Like in any other research activity, a special set of

The beginning of a new graduate nurses career rarely begins easily, there seems to be a distinct disconnect between the fantasy of what it means to be a nurse and the reality of bedside nursing. Nursing school seems to feed into this disconnection, in that it does not prepare the new graduate registered nurse (NGRN) for their professional practice. What nursing school does is give the NGRN the basics, a peak into what is to come. The NGRN has to find out for themselves what the true meaning of being a nurse is and if it fits their preconceived ideas.

This focus is adapted to primarily prepare the ADN student for more day to day nursing activities. In 1952, Mildred Montag, in response to the nursing shortage, designed a program to counter the college level nursing programs. An associate degree was the end result. (Haase, 2006, p. 1)

It is clear that Family Nursing Practitioner Program is increasingly becoming valuable for nurses competing for the best job positions. Pursuing a FNP program can open many doors to students in the field of nursing as well as nursing administrators. Additionally it can result into higher salaries throughout the entire career of an individual.

Ever since I began nursing school in 2012 at the University of Texas At El Paso Texas, I dreamt of furthering my education to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. During my clinical rotations I received many exposures that showed me insight into the invaluable job Nurse Practitioners offered to their patients. Through my own personal experience having received care by nurse Practitioners has left me no doubt about my desire to become a Family Nurse Practitioner.

I thank God for enabling me to complete my education in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.

Nightingale had the power and was in the right position to establish modern nursing (Stein 1998). Nightingale said, “Let us never consider ourselves as finished nurses…we must be learning all our lives”. In the years of 1860 through 1899 the Unites States laid the groundwork for nursing. Following England’s format, the school of nursing would remain separate from the hospital, so that the educational needs would be kept separate from patient needs. The first doctoral program for nursing was instituted at the university of Pittsburg in 1954 (Stein 1998). In today’s society, the education and learning of nurses consist of programs, offerings, and independent studies in order to broaden a nurse’s ability (Stein 1998). The education required to become a register nurse today is, a Bachelor in science degree along with a nursing degree.

Many people believe mandatory residency programs for newly licensed nurses are long overdue. The knowledge needed to practice nursing has grown to include health policy, ethics, public health, research, healthcare delivery improvements, as well as leadership skills. Nurses are part of the multi-disciplinary team and must work together with healthcare providers who possess masters or doctoral degrees. Nursing school prepares nurses with the basic information they need to know in order to practice safe nursing. However, modern nurses are faced with ever increasing demands. New nurses must know how to collaborate with the healthcare team, manage their priorities, stay organized and recognize life-threatening situations. Many new grads are overwhelmed with the demands of nursing, which can lead to compromised patient care and safety. Formalized, supervised guidance will improve patient care and retain nurses. The study also recommended doubling the amount of nurses with a masters or doctoral degree by 2020 in order to provide an adequate supply of nurses who are able to assume nurse faculty, primary care providers, and researcher positions.