Nursing has become a highly respected profession since its modest beginnings, caring for the sick in homes. Past the profession’s beginnings, nursing training changed from primarily through hands-on training to being given in primary schools globally. This change means that nursing is increasingly essential in helping differentiate between various types of care that nurses deliver. The APRN Consensus Model, which offers consistent education, certification, and licensing criteria, has significantly transformed and elevated APRN practice (Roberts & Knestrick, 2023). This has enhanced patient access to innovative medical care, improved quality of care, and promoted professional collaboration.
Advanced Practice Nurse vs. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
Martin et al., 2023 argue that any nursing action that affects a person’s or the community’s medical outcomes qualifies as an advanced practice nurse, using the American Association of Clinical Nurses’ definition. These include providing direct patient care, managing patient care, managing nursing homes and other healthcare facilities, and creating and implementing healthcare policies. ACAN defines APRNAN as a natural medical service provider. The terms CRNA, NP, CNM, and CNS are all included in the APRN category. But unless a person seeks prescriptive authority, the CNS doesn’t necessitate an extra license.
The ANP, or advanced practice nurse, is a qualified registered nurse with an undergraduate degree who strives to improve health outcomes. Examples of such nurses include nurses working in public health, nurse administrators, and registered nurses focusing on medicine and surgery. For instance, to practice as a PMHNP or CRNA, an APRN must have both an advanced degree and a license in that field. According to state-specific regulations set by the licensing authority, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are authorized to operate as independent providers within their designated population foci. APRNs took the national certification examination and passed within one of the four recognized jobs after completing a graduate-level program and gaining the clinical knowledge and skills necessary to deliver patient care.
CNPs are authorized by their state to practice authority to provide medical care and oversee the care of patients with chronic or acute medical conditions by writing prescriptions for medications, conducting imaging tests or lab work, and making referrals to other specialists. This information is founded on the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation. In conclusion, ANPs are excellent bedside nurses who may assist with training new or public health nurses. Additionally, APRNs possess a master’s degree in one of the four roles: CNS, CNP, CRNA, or CNM.
The Served Population
Patients in the fields of pediatrics, geriatrics, maternity health, and behavioral health are just a few of the numerous populations that gain from the knowledge and skills of APNs. A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner can offer counseling to patients of all ages as well as address both acute and chronic mental health conditions. Throughout your tenure in this role, patients of all ages, from newborns to the elderly, will require your care. However, this student is pursuing a degree in nursing specialization and has a great desire to deal with military troops as well as individuals who have psychological disorders and substance addiction (Powers et al., 2023). These two patient groups are particularly prone to receiving subpar mental health care. Veterans could be forced to wait weeks or even months to see a doctor, according to studies. Studies show that the average wait time for mental health appointments is seven weeks. As a result, there is an increase in the need for emergency services, and some people might even pass away.
Individuals with mental illness are substantially more likely to suffer from substance addiction disorders. In the United States alone, there are 9.2 million people who have two diagnoses. Medical practitioners tend to avoid patients who have several illnesses because they lack empathy or understanding. Medical practitioners frequently believe that patients who are “drug-seeking” are not getting the best care possible because of this preconceived notion. Furthermore, clinicians of psychiatric nursing have access to a vast array of expertise. This stage covers treatment concentrates on substance misuse and privately and publicly owned medical cent
Certification Opportunities.
In order to work in PMHNP, one must possess a degree higher than a baccalaureate. To work as a psychiatric nurse, a graduate degree or doctorate in nursing is required. These programs educate students on providing both patient care and the comprehensive strategy many nurses use. Following graduation, nurses can sit for the ANCC-awarded PMHNP licensing exam. As a result, the PMHNP Board Certification is valid for five years following the exam completion date. Having obtained this degree, a PMHNP completed the highest training and education level. According to Melo et al., 2023, a PMHNP may also decide to continue their education and get a family nurse practitioner (FNP) degree to give patients more thorough care.
In addition to their board certification, psychiatrist behavioral health nurse practitioners may need DEA numbers in order to provide illegal drugs. Possessing these drugs on hand might help the PMHNP reach out to more veterans and dual-diagnosed individuals. A medication called buprenorphine is administered to treat OUD. Buprenorphine prescriptions are subject to two permits under federal legislation. Firstly, for OUDs, outpatient care buprenorphine treatment is made possible by the Drug Addiction Therapy Act of 2000 Waiver. The second-based exemptions permit administrators, distributors, and prescribers of buprenorphine.
Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education
Accreditation, certification, licensure, and education are vital components of APRN. Licensure, Accreditations, Certifications, and Education as the Consensus Model for APRN provides a structure for defining advanced healthcare practices, outlining a proposed regulatory-based approach, identifying advanced practice roles, explaining specialization, and outlining potential developments in new roles and demographic focus areas (Kleinpell et al., 2023). Like any other nurse, nurses cannot practice as licensed nurse practitioners without a valid nursing license. One decided to pursue their MSN at a college accredited by the Council on Collegiate Nursing-based Education if they already have a BSN. It turned out to be vital to choose a school with national recognition. The PMHNP certification exam can cost up to $390 and is valid for five years after graduation. I plan on taking it in order to keep my ANCC accreditation. I intend to start grad school to obtain a DNP after working in the profession for three to five years.
State-Specific Implications
In several states, nurse practitioners are free to practice. Some states only permit nurse practitioners to work for a certain number of hours. In restricted-practice states, PMHNPs are required to have a CPA under the supervision of a physician. The CPA of a nurse-based practitioner decides which medications, devices, treatments, examinations, and procedures may be administered, ordered, and carried out to identify and address common medical conditions. In other states, both parties must sign the contract each year (Cosme, 2023). A physician in charge needs a DEA certification more expansive than the PHMNP’s total theoretical certification for the prescription of restricted drugs.
Conclusion
The four distinct positions of a registered nurse with advanced practice qualifications are CRNA, CNM, CNP, or CNS. Community health nurses carry out health policy implementation, or a nursing leader with excellent bedside skills can be examples of advanced nursing practice. The nursing student clinician wants to become a PMHNP and work in the state. A graduate-level pharmacological course transcript from an academic credit university must be submitted by aspiring nurse practitioners in order to seek board accreditation as an advanced practitioner. They must also pay the application fee, finish 30 hours of continuing education, and have a current registered nurse licensure. Healthcare has consistently been the main priority for those in the nursing profession. Due to increased support for education in nursing by the boards of executives, nurses are now a competitive option for primary caregivers, replacing physicians. In addition to helping the public, this action relieves the strain from a shortage of medical experts. Since the general population now has greater confidence in nurses, they are among the healthcare industry’s most regarded professions. By incorporating the expanding corpus of research into their everyday practice, nurses will continue to be credible.
References
Cosme, S. (2023). Elevating advanced practice provider fellowships through accreditation. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 54(1), 6–8. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20221207-03
Kleinpell, R., Myers, C. R., & Schorn, M. N. (2023). Addressing Barriers to APRN Practice: Policy and Regulatory Implications During COVID-19. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 14(1), 13-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(23)00064-9
Martin, B., Buck, M., & Zhong, E. (2023). Evaluating the Impact of Executive Orders Lifting Restrictions on Advanced Practice Registered Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 14(1), 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(23)00068-6
Melo, M. D. M., Silva, I. P. D., Freitas, L. S., Mesquita, S. K. D. C., Sonenberg, A., & Costa, I. K. F. (2023). Family Nurse Practitioners: An exploratory study. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 57, e20220362. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-220X-REEUSP-2022-0362en
Powers, J., Wood, M., Kefer, S., Richardson, J., & Ambush, M. (2023). Essential collaboration of advanced practice RN roles. Nursing Management, 54(4), 46-53. DOI: 10.1097/01.NUMA.0000921884.66282.17
Roberts, M. E., & Knestrick, J. (2023). The Nurse Practitioner in the USA: Role Exemplars. In Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Anesthetists: The Evolution of the Global Roles (pp. 131–143). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20762-4_9
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