Competencies of Advanced Practice Nurse Roles

Competencies of Advanced Practice Nurse Roles

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) possess higher training compared to registered nurses. Their roles are underpinned by their superior clinical knowledge. They provide basic preventative outpatient services and other care services. Accordingly, this involves diagnosing and management of the patient’s needs. They also provide antenatal and gynecological services to patients. Furthermore, they are involved in the diagnosis and treatment plan decisions as health care providers’ multidiscipline members. They also provide appropriate anesthesia during surgical procedures. The transition from a registered nurse to an APN is beneficial to patients. However, difficulties can be experienced during this transition. Therefore, this paper will discuss the roles of advanced practice nurses, give reasons for selecting certified nurse practitioner roles, and explain the transition process from a registered nurse.

Four Advanced Practice Nursing Roles

In California, a nurse practitioner is an autonomous individual who conducts patient assessment, diagnosis, and prescription roles. The diagnosis is based on current guidelines and provides holistic patient care (Neto et al., 2018). Nurse practitioners are found in primary health care facilities and make all the treatment plan decisions. Their autonomous nature explains their work environment, where they don’t work under a physician. Further, education preparation involves either a master’s degree or a doctorate course. Accordingly, the focus is channeled to competency in clinical issues and practice. The certification requirement for a nurse practitioner is a registered nurse’s license (California Board of Registered Nurses, n.d.). This license should be valid in the state of California. Those without these licenses must apply for licensure at a non-refundable fee.

Clinical nurse specialists (CNS) perform various roles. They offer specialized clinical knowledge in a specific field. They are involved in clinical research programs, patient education, providing consultation services, and leadership roles (Neto et al., 2018). They work in concert with other healthcare providers to promote evidence-based practice. Their actions impact patient care directly and indirectly. Direct services are provided during a routine meeting with patients, caregivers, and next of kin. On the other hand, indirect services occur via policy formulation, such as advocacy for evidence-based practice. The work environment of clinical nurse specialists involves interacting with patients, other nursing staff, and other multidisciplinary healthcare providers in healthcare institutions. Educational preparations involve a master’s or doctorate program. The emphasis is on critical and abstract thinking during training. Furthermore, applying research to routine nursing practice is an aspect of interest. According to the California Board of Registered Nurses (n.d.), their certification requires a valid Californian Registered nurse’s license.

Additionally, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) perform important roles in the surgical sector. They provide anesthetic services to patients during various procedures. They ensure that the operations are safely executed in the patient’s comfort. They provide continuing medical education to other healthcare providers. Their work environment is broad. They can work in dental clinics, hospital theatres, and different clinical settings requiring safe anesthesia administration (Neto et al., 2018). Educational preparation involves acquiring a master’s or doctoral degree program. On the other hand, training entails a thorough knowledge of general and local anesthetics and their safe use. Accordingly, this includes the dosage considerations for special patient populations. Essentially, its prerequisite is a bachelor of science in nursing degree. Before certification, a valid Californian registered nurse’s license should be provided.

Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) provide reproductive services to women. They work in concert with physicians. These services include antenatal care, delivery services, and postnatal care of the mother and the newborn (Neto et al., 2018). Furthermore, they offer services related to proper family planning techniques according to the patients’ wishes. They are involved in the prescription and counseling of expectant and postnatal women on proper nutrition (Neto et al., 2018). Education preparation for these nurses comprises acquiring a master’s degree or higher qualification in a midwifery program. The training imparts skills and knowledge of providing quality maternal care. Certification requires the possession of a valid Californian registered nurse’s license.

The Rationale for Choosing the Certified Nurse Practitioner Role

I chose the certified nurse practitioner role because of its scope of tasks performed. Certified nurse practitioners have the autonomy to assess patients, diagnose them, and develop treatment plans. This process requires competency in clinical aspects and their application to daily activities. These practitioners are found in primary health care facilities where they directly interact with the patients. I look forward to becoming an autonomous healthcare practitioner who can address all of the patient’s needs, including diagnosing, ordering, and interpreting lab results and prescribing. Furthermore, I would like to work in a primary health care setting and help provide basic clinical services to the community, unlike certified registered nurse anesthetists who provide patient anesthesia. They are not involved in active assessment, diagnosis, and medication prescription. Most of them are found in specialized settings where surgical interventions are likely to occur.

Plans for Clinical Practice

After graduation, I plan to volunteer in primary healthcare facilities. I am certain that this will help me put my knowledge and skills into a practical setup. Also, this will enable me to advance my skills in patient assessment, diagnosing, and the selection of the best treatment plan. It will also assist me in fulfilling my goal of becoming an autonomous practitioner. However, I will consult whenever necessary to ensure that the best treatment plans are selected. After researching APN roles, I have appreciated the unique roles played by each practitioner. Furthermore, research has helped me understand the scope of work performed by a certified nurse practitioner (CNP) and the requirements for certification. CNPs are not passive but key decision-makers in the management of patients.

Role Transition

My transition from a registered nurse role to a nurse practitioner is marked with uncertainty concerning the scope of work. However, I haven’t been anxious about the transition because I anticipated being enlightened on the roles. After researching ANP roles, I am committed to becoming a certified nurse practitioner and committed to fulfilling this goal. The transition or change may be hindered because I did not get proper and adequate orientation. Consequently, this limits my familiarity with most concepts and objectives. It creates role ambiguity and compounds the problem of role confusion (Casey et al., 2019). The second limitation is that of lacking requisite interpersonal skills. The role of a certified nurse practitioner requires an individual to interact with patients freely and closely during the entire process of care provision (Urbanowicz, 2019). As a result, this creates rapport and enables the patient to disclose more relevant clinical information. Therefore, stellar interpersonal skills are needed.

I will rely on my preceptors for their expert mentoring and direction. Working in concert with my preceptors will also enable me to familiarize myself with the roles of CNP and hasten the transition process. Fortunately, preceptors provide the best guidance because they are experts in that field of study (Casey et al., 2019). The second strategy is the development of self-efficacy by embracing a holistic care approach when dealing with patients. Self-efficacy will ensure that I improve my interpersonal skills and fulfill all the patient’s healthcare needs (Urbanowicz, 2019). Additionally, self-efficacy will be achieved by constant practice with my colleagues. This practice will involve assuming the patient and nurse roles and going through the whole process of history-taking and management.

Conclusion

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) possess higher training compared to registered nurses. They fall into four categories: certified nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists. Each performs a unique role. I look forward to becoming an autonomous healthcare practitioner who can address all of the patient’s needs, including diagnosing, ordering, and interpreting lab results and prescribing. For this reason, I chose to become a CNP. After graduation, I plan to volunteer in primary health care facilities and improve my skills and knowledge. Lastly, working with preceptors and developing self-efficacy can help facilitate the transition from a registered nurse to a CNP.

References

California Board of Registered Nurses, (n.d.). Advanced Practice and Public Health Nurse Certification https://www.rn.ca.gov/applicants/ad-pract.shtm

Casey, M., O’Connor, L., Cashin, A., Fealy, G., Smith, R., O’Brien, D., Stokes, D., McNamara, M., O’Leary, D., & Glasgow, M. E. (2019). Enablers and Challenges to Advanced Nursing and Midwifery Practice Roles. Journal of Nursing Management, 27(2), 271–277. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12697

Miranda Neto, M. V. de, Rewa, T., Leonello, V. M., & Oliveira, M. A. de C. (2018). Advanced Practice Nursing: A Possibility for Primary Health Care? Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 71, 716–721. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0672

Urbanowicz, J. (2019). APRN Transition to Practice: Program Development Tips. Nurse Practitioner, 44(12), 50–55. https://doi.org/10.1097/

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Purpose
This assignment’s purpose is to provide the student with an opportunity to explore the roles and competencies of the advanced practice nurse (APN).

Activity Learning Outcomes
Through this assignment, the student will demonstrate the ability to:

Examine the roles and competencies of advanced practice nurses essential to performing as leaders and advocates of holistic, safe, and quality care. (CO1)

Competencies of Advanced Practice Nurse Roles

Explore the process of scholarship engagement to improve health and healthcare outcomes in various settings. (CO4)
Due Date
Assignments should be submitted to the Week 2 Roles in Advanced Practice Nursing dropbox by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. MST at the end of Week 2. When the assignment is placed in the dropbox, it will automatically be submitted to Turnitin. You may submit the assignment one additional time before the due date to lower the Turnitin score. If you choose to resubmit, the second submission will be considered final and subject to grading. Once the due date for the assignment passes, you may not resubmit to lower a Turnitin score.

This assignment will follow the late assignment policy specified in the course syllabus.

Students are expected to submit assignments by the time they are due. Assignments submitted after the due date and time will receive a deduction of 10% of the total points possible for that assignment for each day the assignment is late. Assignments will be accepted, with penalty as described, up to a maximum of three days late, after which point a zero will be recorded for the assignment.

In the event of a situation that prevents the timely submission of an assignment, students may petition their instructor for a waiver of the late submission grade reduction. The instructor will review the student’s rationale for the request and make a determination based on the merits of the student’s appeal. Consideration of the student’s total course performance to date will be a contributing factor in the determination. Students should continue to attend class, actively participate, and complete other assignments while the appeal is pending.