Different Roles of the Nurse Practitioner Paper
Nurse practitioners (CRNP) and certified nurse-midwives (CNM) are advanced registered nurses with master’s degree-level education from a certified institution. They are trained under high standard institutions that impact them with knowledge and skills to offer patient-centered care that is of high quality, safe, and cost-effective care to patients (Poghosyan et al., 2017). Unlike CRNPS who offers care to people of all age groups from different institutions and centers, CNM offers pregnant women from the time of conception, through pregnancy, during delivery, and after delivery. They ensure normal delivery and neonatal safety.
However, other roles of CRNP and CNM are inseparable despite CNM roles being tailored towards reproductive women. Both offer a myriad of roles including history taking, physical assessment, ordering diagnostic tests, creating care plans, diagnosis acute and chronic conditions, offering treatment, education on preventive measures, providing health promotion, follow-up of patients, and advocating for patient rights (Zonneveld et al., 2018).
In addition, CNM offers contraception and birth control services, woman-centered care, conduct safe delivery, and gynecological services (Hastings-Tolsma et al., 2018). A family nurse practitioner (FNP) needs to understand the roles of both CRNP and CNM as this will influence their performance. FNP is entitled to provide primary care, perform a physical assessment, order diagnostic tests, develop care plans, and offer treatment just like CRNP and CNM.
On the other hand, physician assistants (PA) offer disease-centered care under the supervision of the physician. Their roles include taking patient history, performing a physical examination, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests, assisting in surgeries, making a diagnosis, prescribing medications, counseling patients, and offering preventive care (Halter et al., 2018). Likewise, an FNP provides care to different populations like PA. In addition, an FNP will be required to offer collaborative treatment, diagnose patients, and order tests while working with different health care providers (Zonneveld et al., 2018). Therefore, appreciating the roles of different care providers will help in the provision of coordinated high-quality patient care.
References
- Halter, M., Wheeler, C., Pelone, F., Gage, H., de Lusignan, S., Parle, J., Grant, R., Gabe, J., Nice, L., & Drennan, V. M. (2018). Contribution of physician assistants/associates to secondary care: a systematic review. BMJ Open, 8(6), e019573. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019573
- Hastings-Tolsma, M., Foster, S. W., Brucker, M. C., Nodine, P., Burpo, R., Camune, B., Griggs, J., & Callahan, T. J. (2018). Nature and scope of certified nurse-midwifery practice: A workforce study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(21–22), 4000–4017. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14489
- Poghosyan, L., Liu, J., & Norful, A. A. (2017). Nurse practitioners as primary care providers with their own patient panels and organizational structures: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 74, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.05.004
- Zonneveld, N., Driessen, N., Stüssgen, R. A. J., & Minkman, M. M. N. (2018). Values of integrated care: A systematic review. International Journal of Integrated Care, 18(4), 9. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.4172
The Role of an NP Sample Paper
As an NP, an individual can diagnose and treat acute and chronic health problems, a role RNs cannot perform. The NPs also can prescribe medications for acute or chronic illnesses in their area of expertise. The NPs have advanced knowledge and experience in their area of expertise. Exploiting this knowledge and experience gives them a higher advantage of diagnosing and treating diseases, as well as managing patients effectively. According to Fraze et al. (2020), the presence of NPs in a hospital setting is associated with improved quality of care to the patients.
Learning never ends, and the training at the master’s level is not enough. Ensuring proficiency requires personal effort. I will embark on nursing research in my area of expertise to discover new knowledge and enhance existing knowledge. I will also participate in seminar training organized by the hospital, professional organizations, and the government. I will also ensure that I use the available website in the area of expertise to keep myself updated with information on current practice because nursing practice is very dynamic (Winter et al., 2020)
References
- Fraze, T. K., Briggs, A. D., Whitcomb, E. K., Peck, K. A., & Meara, E. (2020). Role of nurse practitioners in caring for patients with complex health needs. Medical Care, 58(10), 853-860. https://dx.doi.org/10.1097%2FMLR.0000000000001364
- Winter, S., Chapman, S. A., Chan, G. K., Duderstadt, K., & Spetz, J. (2020). Nurse Practitioner Role and Practice Environment in Primary and in Nonprimary Care in California. Medical Care Research and Review, 1077558720942706. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1077558720942706