Nursing has been defined in many different ways throughout time. The field of advanced nursing in recent years has indeed evolved and nurses today are taking more comprehensive and challenging roles within the health care system. Advanced practice nurses (APN) can be defined in many different ways (Nursing.ucsf.edu, 2016). According to the Department of regulation and licensing in Austin Texas, an advanced practice nurse is a person with the following credentials: One is a registered nurse and has a professional license for nursing within the state. Second, has been certified as a clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, and other nursing specialists by the National clarifying authority. Third, one should be a graduate nurse who holds a graduate degree from a University that is accredited. This definition if compared to other nursing institutions looks to be fairly standard.
ADVANCED PRACTISE NURSING ROLES
Advanced practice nurses in most cases are not allowed to prescribe medications, despite that today there is a certification that makes it possible for advanced practice nurses to prescribe drugs in particular instances. American Nurses Association defines Advanced Practice Nurse as a general term given to a registered nurse who has achieved the requirements of clinical practice and also met advanced educational practice. For one to be an APN, one has to have gone for more than 2-4 years studying basic nursing education. An APN when compared to the traditional RN, is expected to be involved in more autonomous responsibilities which include the treatment and diagnosis of patients (Dahrouge S, 2016). Therefore, one would not be wrong to conclude that an Advanced Practice Nurse is a nurse that has highly advanced skills in treatment and diagnosis and is highly specialized. Advanced Practice Nurses come in many forms, and their roles significantly change. All this depends on their critical areas of practice or their specialty.
ROLES OF NURSE PRACTIONERS AND FAMILY PHYSICIANS IN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS
The fields and specialties that Advanced Practice Nurses take part in include Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Clinical Nurse Midwives, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists among many other fields. The South University in Austin offers Masters of Science in Nursing. The main objectives of that program are the development of skill and grant knowledge to registered nurses. Not only that, but it is also intended to help those nurses who are interested in pursuing positions which are more advanced in this challenging healthcare environment. The program at South University blends the concepts of advanced nursing with nursing theories to prepare students to work within the education setting and healthcare organization.
The Nursing Program at the Masters level in South University offers at least six courses in a particular area. The program integrates experience in the nursing practitioner and assessments that evaluate the competency of each nurse. Family Nurse Practitioner is one of the courses that is offered by South University in its aim to prepare nurses to fit in the modern health care system. A family nurse practitioner is a program that focuses mainly on instilling knowledge in advanced health sciences and skills that help to prepare nurses in their field (Dahrouge S, 2016).
EXPERT OPINION ARTICLE: TRANSITION FROM A REGISTERED NURSE TO FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER
The family has a broad definition and impacts almost on every aspect of a person’s health. .Family Nurse Practitioners are nurses who are registered and serve under physicians in specialty and primary care providers. Family Nurse Practitioners also work with patients and their role is to diagnose illnesses, conduct exams and prescribe medication. Family Nurse Practitioners also serve as the sole healthcare provider for their patients and are allowed to run their private clinics for practice. Family Nurse Practitioner helps to meet the needs of family and individuals by giving primary care which is comprehensive, and this care is offered throughout their lives. Family Nurse Practitioners function independently and also collaborate with other healthcare providers such as social service professionals and clinicians. The settings that a Family Nurse Practitioner operates in a variety of settings which include schools, clinics, homes, community-based organization and workplaces (Internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org, 2016).
Ensuring patient safety is such a vital role whether playing a clinical or a non-clinical role in compliance to NPSGs policies. As a family practitioner, it is my responsibility to ensure quality that meets the standards of the Joint Commission. Accreditation is such a crucial factor to gain the public’s trust and develop a sense of well-being with the society. For good quality achievement, it calls for problem identification across the health care sector. By making ethical practices, one can try to avoid common errors that at times occur during the real-life practice of one’s expertise. Moreover, providing the right information to the patients will be such an important factor to ensure that monitoring routines are well adhered to, and drug administration is done in the right manner to patients. Finally, it presumes your role to provide encouragement to the patient to enforce that satisfying mood. It is the role of the practitioner to understand and have a good picture of the patient’s needs. Having that global picture in mind keeps it easy to monitor illnesses and also prevent them all the same.
In conclusion, as a family nurse practitioner, I will choose to facilitate easy access to health care services by the public and for all populations. Focusing on populations that seem unconsidered or underserved, I will opt to ensure that equal and standard services get to them. Lastly, I choose to keep a record of excellence in my career. This should act as a motivator to the students that are passionate about the family nurse practitioner career. I will choose to further my career by focusing on prevention and primary care of patients who feel as if they do not belong to the current society.
References
Dahrouge S, e. (2016). Roles of nurse practitioners and family physicians in community health centres. - PubMed - NCBI. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 27 February 2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25551130
Nursing.ucsf.edu,. (2016). Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) | UCSF School of Nursing. Retrieved 27 February 2016, from http://nursing.ucsf.edu/academic-program/family-nurse-practitioner-fnp
Internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org,. (2016). Retrieved 27 February 2016, from http://www.internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org/docs/31.%20Jokiniemi%20ORIGINAL.pdf
