Roles of Nurse Practitioners in Healthcare Organizations

This paper explores the perception of clinical practitioners to the change in policy related to the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) full practice authority. The author conducts a one-on-one, open-ended interview of 5 nurse practitioners and 5 physicians licensed to practice in Maryland on their perceptions of the recent passage of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Full Practice Authority. A literature review was conducted in a policy report by the professional nursing organization, and discussion within the peer-reviewed article supported an overview, regulatory differences among 50 states, including the District of Columbia. Their policy implication for enhancing APRNs role nationally. The author discusses a critical component

The role that nurse practitioner (NP) plays within the increasing complex health care system is a constant changing role with the Consensus Model and the introduction of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. The scope of the nurse practitioner (NP) includes the care of the young, the old, the sick and the well. The educational needs of a nurse practitioner vary greatly from that of a Registered Nurse (RN), in the amount of education as well as the focus of the education. NPs provide coordinated primary care with the use of comprehensive health histories and physical examinations, diagnosing and treating acute and chronic illnesses, the management of medications and therapies, ordering and interpreting tests results, and educating and

Historically, nurses focused on the diagnosis and treatment of a disease, sickness or condition and emphasis on health promotion was nonexistent. However, today that has all changed. Nurses are now expected to expand their primary care services to include psychosocial nursing, advocacy, behavioral science, counseling and advocacy in addition to patient assessment, clinical diagnosis and patient-case management. In the article “Defining Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice: Expanding Primary Care Services,” Sherwood, Brown, and Wardell (1997) state “the role of the nurse practitioner continues to evolve in response to changing societal and health care needs as consumers in all settings seek increasing services”. (Sherwood, Brown and Wardell, 1997).

There is a growing trend where physicians are choosing different specialties instead of choosing primary care, primarily due to the low reimbursement rate in primary care. According to Iglehart (2014),” the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) still projects a shortage of 130,000 physicians by 2025, split almost equally between primary and specialty care” (para. 1). With this decline comes an answer, an increase in the number of nurse practitioners providing patient care, reported 154,00 in 2012 and growing every year (Iglehart, 2014). This increase in nurse practitioners’ helps fill that gap, allow greater health care access to the community, especially special populations. By gaining access to healthcare were a nurse practitioner is the provider not only with the special population have high quality affordable health care, a trusting long lasting relationship will develop. This relationship will break the barriers of; lack of trust, lack of health care education and discrimination. Nursing is a trusted profession that provides education and care that no other health care professional

While the demand of healthcare need increasers the United States facing a physician shortage. In recent years the number of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) has significantly increased and they are taking the part in providing healthcare cervices to the majority of patients. I believe nurse practitioners and physician assistants can practice independently from doctors and be free of oversight. Expanding the scope of NPs and PAs is essential to overcome the healthcare crisis we are facing; it will increase patient satisfaction and stabilizing the healthcare economy.

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) play a key role in long term health care by ensuring provision of holistic healthcare services particularly in remote areas and in those areas that have few physicians. Currently, there is a concern where there is a shortage of physicians in nursing homes and in other critical health care services questioning the care being provided (Colwill, Cultice, & Kruse, 2008). Due to population growth,

by a nurse equivalent is equivalent to care provided by a physician.. In addition, the

Since the inception of the Nurse Practitioner (NP) role in the 1960s, NPs have thrived in the delivery of primary healthcare and nurse case management. Despite patient satisfaction with NPs ' style of care, nurses have been critical of NPs, while physicians have been threatened by NP encroachment on MD practice. Balancing assessment, diagnosis, and treatment with caring defines NPs ' success as primary care providers. Understand the role and Scope of Practice of NPs is sometimes difficult for some to understand. The purpose of this paper is to define the role and history of NP, compare and contrast licensure versus certifications, understand NP Scope Of Practice and Standards of Care, discuss how the State Practice Acts regulate FNP practice, discuss credentialing and privileging, and differentiate between legislative and regulatory processes.

Every individual in the world deserves to enjoy health and wellness. Maintaining or achieving proper health needs enables individuals to be productive at work and leisure. Traditionally, many people have had barriers obtaining adequate healthcare due to economic constraints or personal inconveniences. Despite impressive technological advances in medicine, the challenge of delivering quality healthcare to the Americans continues to be debated amongst the nation’s political and healthcare leaders. The aging baby-boomers and the increased number of uninsured people add to the equation of population growth which results in limited access to primary healthcare for the entire public. On the

As resistant as some states’ legislative and regulatory bodies are to grant APNs autonomy of practice, the damage being done by over-regulation is clear (Safriet, 1992). Physicians are forced into a position to either supervise the APN’s practice or be constantly consulted for approval of their practice decisions. Safriet (1992) described that in and of itself, this constant supervision may appear to patients that the APN is not competent to provide adequate or care equivalent to that of a physician. If the role of the APN is to bridge gaps in health care by relieving the medical establishment of some of the patient load by performing the same function as a physician in a primary care setting, it seems wholly unnecessary to restrain their scope of practice in those areas. This type of restrictions affect cost and patient care accessibility (Safriet, 1992). This was a problem stated in the article, however 25 years later, populations of patients remain unseen or cared for and APNs continue to be underutilized (Safriet, 1992). Rigolosi and Salmond (2014) cite the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) when they state that not utilizing nurse practitioners due to practice restrictions costs $9 billion annually in the US (p. 649).

There is an increasing demand for nurse practitioners, which makes this a crucial period in the development of their practice and profession. Nurse practitioners must face increased opportunity and continuing opposition towards independent practice all while defining their role in health care delivery and establishing their connections. The practice of nurse practitioners still varies widely across the states. These inconsistencies make it difficult for nurse practitioners as well as patients when practice

In Georgia, Nurse Practitioners practice is regulated by the nursing board and is restricted. NPs are not allowed the same autonomy as other states and their capability to practice independently is not supported. According to American Associate of Nurse Practitioners (2017), restricted practice is when state practice and licensure law install limitations on the NP’s ability to practice to the full extent of their training and education. Today Georgia’s NPs are required to work collaboratively with a physician which restricts their ability. I believe that NPs are educated and competent to deliver quality care without physician oversight. Removing practice barriers can promote optimal role fulfillment and assessment for the NP providing

Primary care practice will be greatly impacted by health care reform. To provide better health care, the country will see a trend away from specialty to primary care and the avoidance of acute issues by delivering this care in the community setting. As a result, primary care physicians will be overwhelmed with the patient load as the number of the insured increases exponentially. The committee recognizes the scope of nursing practice that remains untapped and therefore the profession

A nurse practitioner (NP) are trained, educated and knowledgeable professionals that flourish in primary care. There is no comparison between NP and physician, their aim should be to provide exceptional care for patients. With all respect to the medical doctors, nurse practitioners are capable of managing the medical problem as well as nursing problems (Weiland, 2015). There are many barriers which APNs have to face within their scope of practice especially in the state of Georgia (Shilling, & Hodnicki, 2015). This barrier impedes the type of care which are delivered by NPs to their patients.

They can influence the people throughout their state, in order to practice independently. They can conduct quality assurance and add improvements to healthcare (Chilton 2015). The nurse practitioner can affect health care policy by writing to their state legislators; they work closely with their patients and can help to reduce complications and provide a method of care (Chilton 2015). As the Affordable Care Act brings more patients into the healthcare system, the demand for NP’s services can only increase and therefore there will be a need for their services. NP’s can move beyond their limitations and restrictions and have more control and autonomy into their practice to better assist their patients. NP’s have to deal with inequalities in the healthcare system and they are qualified to practice independently (Edmunds 2013). Nurse practitioners have been excluded or restricted on a scale and are not recognized or supported to practice independently in their state (Edmunds 2013). NP’s have the ability to apply their knowledge & clinical expertise to influence and initiate a health care policy (Danna 2009). The suggestion of a policy concept is regarding the issues in healthcare that are require for modification. NP’s can provide possible solutions