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APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example

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APN Professional Development Plan

            Competence, compassion, leadership skills, and professionalism are among the core attributes that ensure Advanced Nurse Practitioners (APNs) meet patient and community needs within the healthcare continuum. Uniquely positioned to offer holistic and patient-centered care across the United States, the nurse practitioners’ in-depth knowledge acquired at the graduate level and competencies are mandatory for clinical practice. APNs have varying practice scopes based on state laws, with a few exceptions. States’ legislatures have a mandate to adapt and modify the laws and requirements of the APNs. Thus, the laws governing practitioners’ scope and core competencies aim to manage healthcare issues and promote holistic and patient-centered healthcare services. This paper aims to elucidate California APNs’ practice scope, core competencies, and leadership skills.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

Advanced Practice Nurse Scope of Practice

Education Requirements

            The education standards require APNs to graduate from programs approved by the board. In this case, California requires one to complete a minimum of 30 semester hours that include 12 units of supervised clinical practice and theories. Notably, one must score at least a credit in the theories and practical units taken. The clinical practice units should include high-level training and performing of clinical procedures to improve the students’ experience in the care of adult, pediatric, Ob/GYN, and family patients.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

License Requirements

            Advanced Practice Nurses should have the required license to take part in practice. Therefore, APNs have to sit for and pass the National Examination for Certification of Registered Nurses after completing their degree program. After passing the exam, the nurse will hold an APN licensure in the form of a certificate that serves as an authorization to take part in patient care within California. Licenses are vital since they serve as proof of one’s authority to practice as an APN and as regulatory standards that offer practice guidelines to improve the quality of care. Licensure also helps prevent people from impersonating health care providers, which can be detrimental to the general population’s health and well-being.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

Practice Authority

            California was the 23^rd State to join other Full Practice Authority (FPA) states, allowing the nurse practitioners to have full practice authority. Governor Gavin Newsome passed the bill AB-890 into law and was approved on September 29, 2020 (Brusie, 2020). However, the FPA will go into effect on January 1, 2023. Essentially, FPA improves access to care since the APNs are likely to practice in underserved and rural areas to offer safe and quality health care services. Full Practice Authority streamlines care by removing delays since APNs are independent of doctors and reduce healthcare costs by avoiding duplicated charges. Some people feel comfortable while working with APNs promoting patient autonomy.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

Regulatory Requirements

            The State Nurse Practice Act governs Nursing Practice in California. In this case, the Board of Registered Nursing promulgates regulations that require APNs to operate under standardized procedures. Notably, the standardized procedure also gives the APNs the authority to perform different medical functions. In California, the set regulations require the APNs to collaborate with a physician and adhere to the procedures set by health care providers such as physicians, surgeons, and administrators (Septz, 2018). For instance, APNs must obtain extra certifications from the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) to prescribe drugs and other devices. Physicians have the legal responsibility in Nursing Practice since they are responsible for determining supervision levels, frequently communicating with APNs, and overseeing the quality of care provided.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

Prescriptive Authority

            APNs cannot prescribe schedule II substances such as Dolophine and Demerol without meeting specific standards in California. The California Board of Nursing Requirements sets the standards to give APNs the prescriptive authority. First, the NP should apply for APRN and a Furnishing license(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example). The furnishing license number should be completed in the nursing practice program indicating the pharmacology content. Secondly, nurse practitioners are required to have a DEA number. Also, one must complete an approved Continuing Education Prescribing Course offered by the California Association of Nursing Practitioners on how to give Schedule II controlled substances. Finally, a nursing practitioner writes to the California Board of Nursing to apply for a schedule II Furnishing License.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies

            The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) has nine competencies fundamental to the nursing practice. The competencies are a scientific foundation, leadership, quality, practice inquiry, technology, and information literacy, policy, healthy delivery system, ethics, and independent Practice (Waryold et al., 2021)(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

Competency Areas That are Personally Strong

            I believe I can excel in leadership. After I was oriented, I took the initiative to orient new students into our nursing unit. I have also assumed the nurse expert in radiology and have taken up other teaching roles. I collaborate with physicians, pharmacists, and other leaders in our unit to devise new strategies for offering quality care and ensuring patient safety. Besides, I have always been a huge patient advocate. I ensure that the patients are comfortable and ensure patient needs are addressed. Secondly, I strongly support quality care; In this case, I am a member of a committee that addresses care quality and patient safety problems. The committee aims to achieve high-quality services with reduced health care costs.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

Competency Areas Where There is Room for Growth

            I have an opportunity for growth in scientific foundation and health delivery system competencies. The clinical practice of a registered nurse should be backed with strong scientific evidence. My supervisor assigned me to research protocols and procedures in the nursing practice. Throughout my research, I discovered that I have vital things to learn in my clinical practice about evidence-based practice. I need further growth in health delivery system competencies. At this stage in my career, I feel I do not have sufficient knowledge to improve the organizational management of my facility. I need to learn more about the administration topic that addresses and structures the health delivery system in a health care setting.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

 Scholarly Activities to Help Achieve NP Competencies

            Attending conferences and seminars on professional development is part of the scholarly activities that will prepare me for nursing competencies. For instance, participating in Nursing Professional Association activities such as debates enhances my professional knowledge. In this case, I will have access to valid and up-to-date information vital for my career. Also, I will improve my communication skills, network with other health care providers and develop leadership skills that are important for my nursing practice.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

Leadership Skills

Three Leadership Skills Required to Lead in Complex Systems

Nurse practitioners should have strong leadership skills since they have a high scope of responsibilities and operate more independently. In this case, other colleagues depend on APNs in decision-making to create positive outcomes. Significantly, effective communication is a crucial element in leadership. Good communication helps build strong relationships with colleagues and patients, thus producing positive outcomes (Anderson, 2018). Communication promotes shared decision-making and consultation, which are vital for inpatient care. Secondly, emotional intelligence is critical in the health care profession. Emotional intelligence allows one to communicate well with colleagues and patients, building rapport and trust. Notably, nurse practitioners should have integrity since they took an oath to be honest, and truthful in their profession. As a nurse practitioner, one should be honest about the patients’ condition and prognosis.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

Two Strategies to Help Develop NP Leadership Skills

            Leaders are agents of change and inspire and empower others by achieving personal and professional goals. Nursing practitioners are leaders and should devise effective strategies to develop desirable leadership skills. Besides, nursing leaders should work on their strengths and weaknesses by having a high level of self-awareness (Barr & Dowding, 2019). Self-examination will allow the nurse practitioners to identify their strengths and use them as an advantage in patient care and weaknesses to improve. Secondly, nurse practitioners should continuously expand their knowledge to foster ideas and solutions fundamental to innovation and vision. High knowledge improves critical thinking, aids in foreseeing problems, and devises a strategic action plan to improve health care services.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

Conclusion

            The presence of nurse practitioners is evident as the nursing profession continues to grow and thrive across the globe. Nurse practitioners have more inpatient care responsibilities than physicians, such as patients’ assessments, treatment, and even drug prescriptions. Notably, the State of California has a defined scope of practice for APNs that highlights the requirements of nursing practice. Subsequently, allowing nurse practitioners to have FPA improves access to care since the APNs are likely to practice in underserved and rural areas to offer safe and quality health care services. For that reason, I wish to work in the State of California to achieve my personal and professional goals. I will use the NONFP competencies to build my foundation as a nursing practitioner. I will join the Nursing Professional Association to expand my professional knowledge and competence.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

References

Anderson, C. (2018). Exploring the role of advanced nurse practitioners in leadership. Nursing Standard.

Barr, J., & Dowding, L. (2019). Leadership in health care. Sage.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)

Brusie, C. (2020). California Grants Nurse Practitioners Full Practice Authority by 2023. Retrieved from https://nurse.org/articles/california-nurse-practitioners-full-practice/

Spetz, J. (2018). California’s Nurse Practitioners: How Scope of Practice Laws Impact Care. California Health Care Foundation.

Waryold, J. M., Holliday, K., & Rodriguez, E. (2021). Metacognition in nurse practitioner students: How nurse educators can best serve their students. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 51(12), 1170-1175.(APN Professional Development Plan Essay Example)