Final Paper Overview/Description: The Final Written Assignme ✓ Solved

Final Paper Overview/Description: The final written assigne

Final Paper Overview/Description: The final written assignment will synthesize what you have discovered about the different advanced practice roles and scope of practice found in the master of nursing curriculum: APRNs, nurse educator, nurse informaticist, and nurse administrator/executive. You will review all roles and then examine the specialty for which you were admitted, focusing on the scope of practice, core competencies, certification requirements, and legal aspects of practice for that specific role. You will also identify the practice environment and population you will be working with, as well as peers and colleagues. In addition, you will discuss your future leadership role and participation in professional organizations.

Your paper is to be based on current literature, standards of practice, core competencies, and certification bodies for your chosen role. Category of Roles: Advanced Practice Roles in Nursing: Briefly define advance nursing practice and the roles in advanced practice nursing pertaining to clinical practice, primary care, education, administration, and health information. Distinguish between ANP and the APN. Describe the advance nursing practice role you aspire and briefly share the experiences and/or qualities you have that have influenced your decision. Include your personal philosophy.

Selected Advanced Practice Role: Identify the AP you interviewed and summarize the interview. Examine regulatory and legal requirements for the state in which you plan to practice. Describe the professional organizations available for membership based on your selected role. Identify required competencies (domains), including certification requirements for your selected role. Describe the organization and setting, population, and colleagues with whom you plan to work.

Leadership Attributes of the Advanced Practice Role: Determine your leadership style. Define Transformational Leadership and as it relates to your identified leadership attributes that you possess or need to develop. Apply the leadership style you will embrace in AP to one of the domains.

Health Policy and the Advanced Practice Role: Based on your program of study, review the literature and address role-specific policy issues (e.g., NP reimbursement and practice authority; value-based care for nurse executives; health information laws for informaticists; regulation of nursing education for educators). For your chosen category, describe current policy or trends and whether it needs to change; provide the process required to make the change with key players and parties of interest; and explain how you could lead or influence the change and its impact on healthcare quality.

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction and Definitions

Advanced nursing practice encompasses a range of roles that extend nursing knowledge, clinical judgment, and leadership to improve healthcare delivery (IOM, 2011). Key advanced practice categories include APRNs (nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse-midwives, and nurse anesthetists), nurse educators, nurse informaticists, and nurse administrators/executives. APRNs deliver direct clinical care and population-based services; nurse educators focus on workforce preparation and curriculum design; informaticists bridge clinical practice and information systems; nurse executives lead organizational strategy and operations (AACN, 2021).

Distinguishing ANP and APN and My Aspiration

In many contexts ANP (Advanced Nursing Practice) is used interchangeably with APN (Advanced Practice Nurse), but nuance can exist: ANP sometimes emphasizes advanced clinical practice while APN can encompass broader roles including leadership, education, and informatics. I aspire to be a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) in primary care because of sustained interest in longitudinal care, population health, and preventive services. Clinical experience in community clinics and mentorship from practicing FNPs shaped this choice and my personal philosophy: patient-centered care grounded in evidence, equity, and collaborative interdisciplinary practice (Newhouse et al., 2011).

Review of All Roles

APRNs: Provide primary, acute, and specialty care with varying autonomy by state; core competencies include advanced assessment, diagnosis, prescribing, and leadership (NONPF, 2012). Nurse educators: design and evaluate curricula, mentor students and clinicians, and assure educational quality (AACN, 2021). Nurse informaticists: translate clinical workflows into technological solutions, optimize EHRs, and protect data integrity and privacy (HIMSS, 2019). Nurse administrators/executives: guide organizational strategy, resource allocation, and quality initiatives (ANA, 2015).

Selected Role: Family Nurse Practitioner — Interview Summary

I interviewed an experienced FNP working in an Oregon community health center. The clinician emphasized broad responsibilities: comprehensive assessment, chronic disease management, health promotion, prescribing, and coordinating care with behavioral health and social services. The interview highlighted the FNP’s autonomy in Oregon’s full practice environment, reliance on national certification, and ongoing engagement in professional organizations (AANP, 2023).

Scope of Practice, Competencies, and Certification

FNP scope in Oregon includes independent practice and prescriptive authority; required competencies align with NONPF domains: scientific foundation, leadership, quality, practice inquiry, technology, policy, health delivery, and ethics (NONPF, 2012). Certification is obtained through bodies such as the ANCC or AANPCB; state licensure and DEA registration are necessary for controlled-substance prescribing (ANCC, 2020).

Regulatory and Legal Requirements (Oregon)

Oregon grants full practice authority to NPs, permitting autonomous diagnosis, treatment, and prescribing without a mandated collaborating physician (Oregon State Board of Nursing, 2022). Practitioners must maintain national certification, state licensure, controlled-substance registration, and malpractice coverage. Policy trends nationally vary: some states retain restrictions; evidence shows full practice authority improves access without compromising quality (Kurtzman & Barnow, 2017).

Practice Environment, Population, and Colleagues

My intended setting is a community health center serving diverse, underserved populations with high chronic disease burden. Colleagues include primary care physicians, behavioral health providers, social workers, nurses, and community health workers. Collaboration across these roles is essential for integrated, equitable care delivery (IOM, 2011).

Leadership Style and Transformational Leadership

I identify with transformational leadership—motivating teams through vision, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and role modeling (Bass & Riggio, 2006). To strengthen this, I will develop skills in policy advocacy, data-driven quality improvement, and coalition building. Applying transformational leadership to Health Policy means mobilizing peers, leveraging evidence, and influencing legislators and payers to support policies that expand access and equity (AANP, 2023).

Health Policy Issues: Reimbursement and Practice Authority

Medicare historically reimburses NPs at a reduced rate relative to physicians under certain coding rules; Medicare Part B payment policies have produced disparities (CMS, 2020). I argue for reimbursement parity for equivalent services because evidence supports comparable outcomes and improved access with NPs (Newhouse et al., 2011). Regarding practice authority, Oregon’s full practice model enhances access and system efficiency; states with restrictions should revise statutes to reflect contemporary evidence (Kurtzman & Barnow, 2017).

Policy Change Process and My Role

Changing policy requires evidence synthesis, stakeholder engagement (NP associations, state boards, legislators, payers, physician groups, patient advocates), and strategic advocacy (AANP, 2023). Steps include collecting outcome data, building coalitions, drafting legislation, and public education campaigns. I can lead by contributing clinical data, participating in professional organizations, testifying at legislative hearings, and designing quality-monitoring metrics to demonstrate safety and value (NONPF, 2012).

Impact on Healthcare Quality

Expanding NP practice and pursuing reimbursement parity can increase primary care access, reduce wait times, and lower costs while maintaining quality (IOM, 2011; Newhouse et al., 2011). Transformational leadership fosters clinician engagement in policy and practice changes that improve population health outcomes and equity.

Conclusion

In summary, advanced practice nursing spans multiple critical roles. As an aspiring FNP in Oregon, I will rely on established competencies and certification while embracing transformational leadership to influence policy and practice. Advocating for reimbursement parity and broader practice authority is supported by evidence linking NP practice to improved access and quality. Engaging with professional organizations and stakeholders will be central to leading sustainable policy change.

References

  • AANP. (2023). State practice environment. American Association of Nurse Practitioners. https://www.aanp.org
  • NONPF. (2012). Nurse practitioner core competencies. National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. https://www.nonpf.org
  • ANCC. (2020). Family nurse practitioner certification. American Nurses Credentialing Center. https://www.nursingworld.org/ancc
  • AACN. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. https://www.aacnnursing.org
  • CMS. (2020). Medicare payment policies for non-physician practitioners. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. https://www.cms.gov
  • Oregon State Board of Nursing. (2022). Nurse practice act and rules. https://www.oregon.gov/osbn
  • IOM (now National Academies). (2011). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. National Academies Press. https://www.nap.edu
  • Newhouse, R. P., Stanik-Hutt, J., White, K. M., et al. (2011). Advanced practice nurse outcomes 1990–2008: A systematic review. Nursing Economic$, 29(5), 230–250.
  • Kurtzman, E. T., & Barnow, B. S. (2017). A comparison of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and primary care physicians' patterns of practice and quality of care in health systems. Health Affairs, 36(6), 1029–1037.
  • Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Psychology Press.

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