Advanced practice nurses are in high demand due to the increased pressure within our evolving health care system, with a renewed emphasis on health and wellness. According to the American Association College of Nursing, advanced practice nurses must obtain a higher level of learning as well as having key competencies and skills (American Association College of Nursing). The ultimate goal is to achieve positive patient outcomes, resulting in an improved health care system. The purpose of this paper is to provide valuable insights into the education, career path, and roles of a nurse practitioner.
Interview
I conducted my interview with Dr. Karen Lehman, DNP, APRN. Dr. Lehman is a nurse practitioner who currently works for Newton Medical Center as a hospitalist. She also works as needed basis on the E.R. unit. She affiliates with other doctors and physicians in other medical groups including; Newton Healthcare Corporation, and Harry Hynes Hospice, where she also works as needed. Dr. Lehman always had an interest in medicine, but didn’t think she was smart enough to pursue a career in nursing. She worked several odd jobs including that of a fitness trainer. She’s not really sure why she went into nursing, other than she always thought that she wanted to work in an area where she could help people, and make a difference in their lives. She finally decided to enter Wichita State’s nursing program. After graduation, she worked as an ER nurse at Wesley Medical
Our healthcare system is ever evolving, remarkably changing the sphere of nursing practice. The roles of Advanced Nurse Practice practitioners are expanding, taking up a multitude of roles across a diversified healthcare specialties. Advance Nurse Practice practitioner stands as leader in this comprehensive profession bridging the gap in management and clinical aspect of care (McDermott & Morant, 2010), reflecting the complexity of culture, organization and practice setting (Hyrkas & Dende,2008) to improve the quality of patient care. This paper is about the interview with a Certified Nurse Practitioner. The Certified Nurse Practitioner interviewed is from the Hematology/Oncology Department in one of the university affiliated hospitals in Chicago. The purpose of the interview is to learn about the competencies needed to successfully perform the various roles of a Certified Nurse Practitioner in this complex health system. The rationale of the interview process is to give an opportunity as a graduate student to “assimilate primary care competencies into specialty nurse practitioner practice that exemplify professional value, scholarship, service, and culturally global awareness” (Chamberlain College of Nursing, 2014) that can be advantageous for my professional development. The interview showed the importance of knowledge of competencies appropriately applied in practice essential in the functions and roles of a Certified Nurse Practitioner within the scope of practice for
For this assignment I was able to interview Regina Bowman RN, BSN. Her current position is that of the Director of Medical Surgical Nursing. Her position places her over top of seven nursing units between two facilities. Regina graduated from the Mercer Medical School of Nursing in 1979 with her diploma in nursing. The Mercer medical school of nursing is still in operation although it has been renamed the Capital Health School of Nursing. Her return to school started after graduation. She enrolled at Mercer County Community College to obtain her Associates. Secondly she attended La Salle University and received her Bachelor’s in Nursing in 2003. Lastly she is currently enrolled at the Thomas Edison State University, and has a
Your motivation for pursuing a career in the MSN specialty for which you are applying
I want to be an Advanced Practice Nurse. I complete similar work every day so I thought to myself, why not get the certification for it? As I called medical doctors and physicians assistants about sick patients, I found myself suggesting and telling them what orders the patient needs. I was struck with a sudden realization; I needed to go back to school.
In addition, a DNP degree will help me better serve my community by advocating for quality and safety healthcare system. Once attained, I would seek employment at either a school or university with the mission of educating nursing students to practice the highest quality of patient care. One of the major issues facing the nursing profession today is the lack of advance nursing practices. The medical field is in crisis. Doctors are stretched to the limits, and patients are demanding more advanced care. To alleviate some of the concerns facing medicine in the 21st century, advance nursing practices is a vital area in the contribution of understanding and working within the bounds of a team structure, and the promotion of communication between the interdisciplinary health team. The mission of the advance nursing practice is to help individual patients, and their families, determine and achieve optimum physical, mental and social potential, and to do so within the challenging context of the environment in which they live and work Nurses are among the largest professional care group within the healthcare service industry. We are responsible for providing quality care and assisting patients towards independent and healthy living. Considering the changing working environment, health care practitioners like nurses are
The role of a family nurse practitioner is a fundamental portion of the future of healthcare. The role is clearly not as understood by other healthcare professionals as needed which results in the disagreement if the role of a family nurse practitioner is even required for primary care. As people are getting older, the need for medical professionals that can provide patient care to our ever growing population increases. The need for the role of family nurse practitioners will grow too. The role of the family nurse practitioner, the ability of the FNP to be able to transition into their role.
The need for continuing education in nursing has been accentuated in response to rapidly changing health care environment. Expanding knowledge by pursuing higher education allows nurses to enlarge one’s practice. Furthermore, higher education in nursing has been shown that a nurse’s level of education can become a critical factor to the patient-centered quality of care. This essay describes increased demand for higher education in nursing and emphasizes the necessity of continuing education to provide optimum patient care in various setting.
The report shows that the part of nursing must be expanded so that nurses are able to practice to the fullest degree of their education and training. Currently, advanced practice nurses (APRNs) work according to the scope of practice guidelines set forth by their individual state, meaning these highly educated nurses may not be working to the extent of their training but to the individual state laws. The report offers recommendations to streamline these idiosyncrasies and get rid of the red tape so that nurses can work in their appropriate manner and deliver safe quality care to some 32 million Americans who will before long gain access to health care services (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2012). The report correspondingly finds that nurses need to attain advanced levels of education and training through an enhanced education structure which encourages a cohesive academic progression as to safeguard the delivery of quality health care services. Patients are becoming progressively more complex and nurses need to attain the proper skills to care for these persons. Nursing education must embrace the continuous move towards a streamline approach to higher degree programs (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2010, p. 2). Nurse residency programs
The historic article by Safriet (1992) fully lists and analyzes the major challenges facing the advanced practice nurse (APN). At the time the article was written compared to now, a few aspects are changing. In areas where change has occurred, it has been an exceedingly slow process. Change for APNs is often dependent on legislation and regulatory authorities which receives half-hearted support, at best, from the medical establishment (Safriet, 1992). Since the first day nurses were given any authority to practice outside of regular practice, physicians only objected when it began to encroach upon their perceived hierarchal status or potential for compensation (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy, & O’Grady, 2014). The concern that this
Throughout a person’s lifetime, there can be many significant changes that can occur. The most significant change that occurred in my life was to graduate from high school and begin college. There was a challenge of actually knowing what I wanted to do and choosing the right career path. The thought of it, made me realize how much responsibility I would now have when I begin college. When I was in high school, working in the medical field and the ability to help people that are incapacitated has always been my dream.
Advanced practice nursing (APN) can be loosely defined as an area of nursing in which nurses are required to practice at an advanced level in a specific area of interest. APN extends the boundaries of nursing’s scope of practice and contributes to nursing knowledge, and the development of the profession (Canadian Nurses Association, 2008). In order to become an APN, the nurse must obtain a master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited university in an area of concentration designated for advanced practice nursing. According to Joel (2009), there are currently four major groups of APNs: certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse practitioners. APN focus on
Dr. Cook is the associate dean at the Kramer School of Nursing. Her first degree was diploma in nursing from Oklahoma in 1971. She got her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1987; by that time, she worked as a trauma and critical care nurse. After she got her master’s degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing, she worked as a clinical nurse specialist in the emergency department. She got her Ph.D. in 1996, but she has been teaching part-time and full-time since 1991. Dr. Cook has assumed different leadership roles since she started teaching. She was an undereducated department chair, the chair of the doctoral program at
Her career consisted of working in a variety of staff nurse roles, instructing and educating. From 1947-1958, she was an instructor in Medical-Surgical Nursing and assistant director at St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing. From 1961-1966 she developed the framework, structure, and foundation for the master’s degree program in nursing at Loyola University in Chicago. She served as an Assistant Chief of Research Grants Branch, Division of Nursing at the U.S. Department
The future of nursing relates to a greater need of increased patient quality of care. There are essential skills required in the world of advanced practice nursing that can only be offered through the continuance of education along with specialized training. My future role as a nurse administrator and family nurse practitioner is evident as research shows that a major shortage of advanced practice nurses as well as nurse leaders as clinicians in the world of healthcare is absent today. A nursing administrator has multiple capabilities as the role of this type of leader requires heightened awareness to the needs of the healthcare team as well as a strategic plan for growth. The family nurse practitioner role offers the advantages of additional knowledge in many areas that expands the scope of practice of the provider. The implementation of both roles can serve as a breakthrough in the healthcare delivery system by offering the perspective and expertise to the future of healthcare.
An advanced practice nurse is thought to be intimately linked to advanced knowledge and skill. In defining the advanced practice nurse and giving insight on the principal foundation of advanced practice, the International Council of Nurses states that an advanced practice nurse is a registered nurse who has developed the skilled knowledge base, multifaceted decision making skills, and clinical proficiencies for extended practice. Completing an advanced nursing degree increases and develops advanced nursing knowledge. Using this knowledge can help spur change in the healthcare field by offering healthcare organizations with skilled nursing professionals and ultimately stimulate optimal patient care. As a graduate student it is essential be