The advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) specialties have become popular in the United States (US) healthcare system. An advanced practice nurse has become the most rigorous accredited postgraduate nursing practicum. APRN students are equipped with knowledge, skills, and experience aligning with their future nursing roles. As a result, these healthcare professionals have enhanced access to medical care services, bridging the gap between the rapidly growing US population and a limited number of physicians practicing in the country. Therefore, APRNs play a significant role in addressing unmet healthcare needs and improving individual and population health. Various accrediting agencies accredit APRNs upon meeting required education qualifications. NPs are then licensed, indicating they are competent and ready to practice in the licensing state. However, the scope of practice for APRNs varies from one state to another. In some states with full practice authority (FPA), NPs are allowed to practice to the full extent of their academic qualifications or training. On the other hand, NPs must practice under supervision or in collaboration with a physician in states with a limited scope of practice. Therefore, the role, duties, and responsibilities of an NP significantly depend on the scope of practice. This paper focuses on the scope of practice for an APRN in Arizona, the most influential nursing organizations, and evolving issues that might impact the APRN’s scope of practice in the future.
The Scope of Future APRN Role in Arizona
APRN students practice in their respective specialties upon meeting all the requirements. First, APRNs receive certification from the board upon passing the National Certification Examination (NCE). Additionally, an APRN must receive accreditation from a recognized agency before practicing in the selected state. For instance, an NP student can be accredited by the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Centre), a recognized accrediting body in the US (Lavin et al., 2022). Receiving the ANCC accreditation indicates that all academic requirements have been met and that an individual APRN student is competent to practice as an advanced nurse practitioner in the selected specialty.
Moreover, NPs are licensed according to legislation and regulations of the target state for the nurse practitioner practice. The target state for the NP practice is Arizona, which has an FPA for advanced nursing practice that was adopted in 2001 (Kapu & Fuller, 2023). The American Nursing Association (ANA) defined the FPA as a practice in which advanced nurse practitioners can apply their skills, knowledge, and judgment to practice to the full extent of their training and education (Kapu & Fuller, 2023). Additionally, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) described the FPA as NPs’ authorization to assess patients, order diagnostic tests and interpret results, diagnose, initiate treatment, and manage the patient’s condition. Therefore, the Arizona State Law allows APRNs to evaluate patients, diagnose various illnesses, and initiate and manage treatment without being supervised. However, APRNs practicing in Arizona are required to consult another provider if an individual patient falls outside their experience and knowledge. Alternatively, the NP can refer the patient to another healthcare provider or physician for further evaluation, diagnosis, and advanced treatment.
The most Influential Professional Nursing Organizations
Professional nursing organizations play a significant role in advancing and influencing NPs’ scope of practice. They promote their members with education advancement opportunities to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to address rapidly changing and diverse healthcare needs. Additionally, professional organizations provide their members with networking forums, allowing them to exchange professional ideas. Moreover, these organizations consider challenges facing APRNs and address them through advocacy, policy formulation, and adjusting regulatory structures to enhance advanced nursing practice. However, APRNs enroll in various professional organizations depending on their advanced nursing practice specialties and professional goals. The three most influential nursing organizations selected for this paper include the ANA, AANP, and AAPNN.
The ANA
The ANA is a nursing professional body that accommodates all nurses irrespective of their specialty, making its membership open to all nurses. It was launched in 1896 to enhance nursing practice in all states and territories across the United States (ANA, 2024). The ANA’s mission involves a commitment to leadership to improve the nursing profession and the entire healthcare sector in the future (ANA, 2024). Moreover, the ANA advocates for its members needs to enhance their practice. It supports nurses, enabling them to manage the complexities and challenges facing modern health care, enabling them to deliver excellent care consistently. Furthermore, the ANA enables its members to overcome potential ethical dilemmas, enhancing health care reform. Therefore, the ANA supports nurses in continuing to improve health care services for all citizens despite current challenges (ANA, 2024).
The AANP
The AANP is a North American-based nursing professional association. It was established in 2013 as a result of a merger between the American College of Nurse Practitioners and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (PCC, 2022). Its primary goal was to provide NPs with a unified networking forum, which would enable them to advocate for their challenges. It is currently the largest professional organization for NPs. It advocates for over 234,000 US-based licensed NPs.
Furthermore, the AANP offers legislative leadership at different levels, including local, state, and national. It is committed to health policy advancement to promote excellence in nursing practice. Moreover, the AANP supports NPs’ education and research and establishes standards to benefit healthcare consumers through high-quality, comprehensive, cost-effective, collaborative, and patient-centered healthcare.
The Arizona Advanced Practice Nurses Network (AAPNN)
The AAPNN is a non-profit organization committed to promoting NPs’ professional advancement and growth throughout Arizona. It provides its members with community involvement and networking opportunities. It also facilitates members’ continuous education through student support. Moreover, the AAPNN provides its members with legislative updates. Thus, the AAPNN has become a dynamic organization in today’s world through its commitment to advancing nursing practice in the state.
The Preferred Professional Organization
The professional nursing organization that I will join is the AANP. The AANP’s mission involves empowering all NPs, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to advance access to equitable, person-centered, and high-quality care services to individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds through education and research, advocacy, advanced practice, and leadership. Additionally, this organization is committed to providing its members with a networking forum. The AANP’s mission and goals align with my philosophy and worldview of care, which involves providing high-quality and advanced nursing care to all individuals to reduce disease burden and mortality rates globally. The AANP membership will allow me to advance my knowledge and interact with other nurse practitioners from my specialty, equipping me with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver high-quality and effective nursing care.
A Controversial Issue that might affect the Advanced Nursing Role in the Future
The evolving practice that might affect NPs’ role in the future is the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI). In the modern healthcare sector, AI has been used in various practices, including AI-based clinical decision support systems, natural language processing, machine learning, AI-enhanced robotics, and big data analytics. AI-based health technologies (AIHT) have a transformative impact on medical professions due to their potential impact on decision-making and clinical processes (Raymond et al., 2022). However, AIHT are likely to affect advanced nursing practice negatively. AI might replace NPs’ roles, including administering medication, which might render some NPs jobless due to decreased demand for nursing care. Additionally, the AI will minimize physical touch and NPs’ nurturing behaviors, changing patients’ perceptions of the nature of nursing care and the professional relationship between NPs and their patients. Similarly, AI will adversely affect other medical professionals since AIHT will replace most of their practices and procedures, reducing demand for their services.
Conclusion
The demand for APRNs has increased tremendously in the US and globally. Consequently, most registered nurses have enrolled in postgraduate nursing programs to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to provide patient-centered and quality patient care. Different states license NPs upon meeting the academic qualifications needed to practice in a particular specialty. In Arizona, the state law allows NPs to practice independently. However, NPs practicing in the state should collaborate with other providers when handling complex health issues to achieve health outcomes. NPs practicing in Arizona can become members of various professional organizations, including the ANA, AAPNN, and AANP.
References
AAPNN. (2024). Arizona Advanced Practice Nurses Network. https://aapnn.enpnetwork.com/
ANA. (2024). Nursing Excellence. American Nurses Association.https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/
Kapu, A., & Fuller, V. (2023). Full Practice Authority. Emergency Nurse Practitioner Scope and Standards of Practice, 13.
Lavin, R. P., Veenema, T. G., Sasnett, L., Schneider-Firestone, S., Thornton, C. P., Saenz, D., … & Couig, M. P. (2022). Analysis of nurse practitioners’ educational preparation, credentialing, and scope of practice in US emergency departments. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 12(4), 50-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(22)00010-2
Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) (2022). American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Primary Care Collaborative.https://thepcc.org/executive/american-association-nurse-practitioners-0
Raymond, L., Castonguay, A., Doyon, O., & Paré, G. (2022). Nurse practitioners’ involvement and experience with AI-based health technologies: A systematic review. Applied Nursing Research, 151604. DOI: 10.1016/j.apnr.2022.151604
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