Primary Care and Healthcare Research Paper

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Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) role of Family Nurse Practitioner

The US is witnessing a growing demand for the services of primary care providers, owing to an increase in the nation's elderly population. With Obamacare's enactment in the year 2010, the above trend is predicted to persist in the course of the next many years. FNPs or Family Nurse Practitioners can help mitigate the forecasted dearth of primary care providers. Available literature on the subjects indicates that FNPs might be capable of delivering a subsection of services categorized under primary care better than, or at least, just as proficiently as, doctors. Increased NP employment can improve healthcare access, especially in generally underserved localities and communities. For furthering this, APRN stakeholder bodies and state nursing boards have endeavored to revolutionize and standardize FNP practice (National Governors Association, 2012).

APRN represents a broad term utilized for defining nursing practice which exhibits competencies that transcend RNs' conventional scope. Across the globe, interest in this profession has been spreading increasingly, demonstrated by the fact that as many as sixty nations have implemented these roles. FNPs, in the role of APRNs, may be described as RNs who have achieved the specialist knowledge base, clinical proficiencies for carrying out extended practice and compound decision making abilities, whose characteristics are governed by the nation and context of credentialing (Sangster-Gormley, Martin-Misener & Burge, 2013).

In simple terms, FNPs are RNs with advanced training. Except for performing surgeries, state laws authorize FNPs to deliver a large number of services identical to those delivered by doctors, such as illness diagnoses and treatment; minor trauma diagnosis and management; splinting and suturing; performance of pre-delivery, adult care and well child health checks; medication prescription; and patient education in matters of ailment prevention and health promotion. FNPs are expected to carry out the activities of diagnosing, prescribing and treating in every state in the country.

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However, different states have established different scopes for FNPs in terms of what services they can deliver and what treatment they can prescribe. In several states, FNPs are authorized to prescribe every kind of medication, even controlled drugs, while others bar FNPs from prescribing controlled drugs (Britt, 2012).

A number of state level FNP advocates have emphasized the attainment of professional independence, without doctor supervision. While the argument on autonomous nursing practice is a fierce one, raging since several decades, it is garnering increasing intensity, owing to the rise in demand for healthcare services for the swiftly aging Baby Boomer generation and individuals who will receive fresh insurance cover thanks to Obamacare. The increased patient load, together with the expected primary care physician dearth, has led to increased focus on how physician assistants and FNPs may fulfill primary care requirements. FNPs have reacted by asserting that although they cannot fully replace the traditional doctor, they are competent enough to deliver affordable, superior quality patient care. NPs with their background in nursing are able to effectively adopt a patient focused care strategy with admirable results. Furthermore, NPs belong to the local or larger healthcare team (Britt, 2012).

Wessel (2012) affirms that as an FNP, she received training for various practice settings such as primary care, management, education and research (2012). Such variety and flexibility makes them flourish and affords them the chance to participate in numerous stimulating public health ventures, whilst simultaneously having ample time to devote to family and society. FNPs' wide-ranging skill enables them to assume several roles within the nation's transforming health sector environment.

FNPs' biggest contribution to primary care represents that of practitioners who integrate diagnostic skills, clinical knowledge, and prescriptive power….....

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