Based on your selected MSN program, write your first section of your ROLE paper using the following criteria: For this assignment, you will research an advanced nursing practice role and summarize you

ROLE AND SETTING 6

Role and Setting

Name

South University

Day

Role and Setting

Contemporary health care system in the United States is compromised by the challenges it faces in connection with the social and economic developments. Aging baby boomers along with the increased number of citizens with the low income who have acquired access to health care services under the provision of Affordable Care Act need qualified providers capable of providing quality and cost-effective care. Advanced practice nurses (APNs) have the capacity to provide such care. APNs are becoming the key stakeholders in primary health care. This author endeavors to join the rows of APNs by becoming one of family nurse practitioners (FNPs). The following paper aims to explore the role of FNPs in detail using the information derived from two scholarly and one expert opinion based article.

Role Description

Nurse practitioners have become the most common nursing role type among all advanced practice nurses. FNPs are also the fastest growing certification type among all APNs. FNPs are a clinical role. FNPs have the wide scope of professional practice and can practice in a variety of fields and settings. This fact explains why they are in such a demand. Below, three articles will be analyzed in order to observe the role of FNPs in detail.

Article 1

The article by Peterson et al. (2014) notes that FNPs have the potential to become the major primary care providers in the United States because they possess advanced education in the field of pathophysiology and pharmacology and have advanced clinical skills and leader competencies. It indicates that FNPs promote patient safety according to the NPSGs by using the evidence-based approach to care along with their advanced information technology use skills enabling them to operate specialized systems supporting the best practice care and highly effective decision-making process. Peterson et al. (2014) also state that FNPs are competent enough to offer the high-quality and safe patient care to all population foci including neonatal patients, pediatrics, women, geriatric patients, and mentally ill patients.

Article 2

In the article, Zapatka, Conelius, Edwards, Meyer, and Brienza (2014) analyze the way FNPs participate in primary care along with their significance in this field and further potential. The authors provide evidence that FNPs are well-prepared to perform advanced tasks and duties in the field of primary care. Zapatka et al. (2014) note that FNP’s education allows them to provide high-quality patient-centered care with the focus on the possible patient outcomes and the optimal quality of life. According to these authors, FNPs have considerable knowledge base and toolkit of skills in order to diagnose patients, develop treatment plans, prescribe medicines, monitor outcomes, and perform various interventions in clinical settings. Besides, FNPs are qualified to participate in nursing research and policy-making activities as well as fulfill the leader and manager roles (Zapatka et al., 2014). All these skills, proficiencies, and competencies make FNPs essential professionals in contemporary U.S. health care.

Article 3. Expert Opinion

Rounds, Zych and Mallary (2013) provide their expert opinion regarding the significance of FNPs in contemporary health care in their article. The authors are confident that health care institutions throughout the whole country benefit from the contribution made by FNPs since they provide the high quality and safe patient care. Rounds et al. (2013) narrate the following examples of health care facilities where FNPs can be employed: nurse practitioner clinics, hospitals, physician clinics, public health departments, community health centers, home health care, and nursing homes. Besides, FNPs help the nursing staff to acquire the specialized nursing skills and help address nursing practice issues (Rounds et al., 2013). The experts indicate that the FNP is a nursing role with considerable potential, and further lobbying efforts are required in order to expand the scope of their practice in all states. With regards to the expertise assessment, diagnostics, and disease management skills and advanced knowledge of pathophysiology, it is expected that FNPs can have a wider scope of practice and may function autonomously without the supervision of medical doctors as noted by Rounds et al. (2013).

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be pointed out that FNPs have become an essential part of contemporary health care system in the United States. Their advanced knowledge in the fields of pathophysiology and pharmacology along with the rich clinical experience allows them to work with all population foci to provide quality care that is timely and cost-effective Overview of two research and one expert opinion based article has suggested that FNPs are important specialists working in clinical settings with the potential to cover the biggest part of demand in the primary care providers, which is the most heated issue in today’s health care system in the United States.

References

Peterson, L. E., Blackburn, B., Petterson, S., Puffer, J. C., Bazemore, A., & Phillips, R. L. (2014). Which family physicians work routinely with nurse practitioners, physician assistants or certified nurse midwives. The Journal of Rural Health, 30(3), 227-234. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12053

Rounds, L., Zych, J., &Mallary, L. (2013). The consensus model for regulation of APRNs: Implications for nurse practitioners. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 25(4), 180-185. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7599.2012.00812.x

Zapatka, S. A., Conelius, J., Edwards, J., Meyer, E., & Brienza, R. (2014). Pioneering a primary care adult nurse practitioner interprofessional fellowship. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 10(6), 378-386. doi: 10.1016/j.nurpra.2014.03.018