Challenges for family nurse practitioners - Essay Example

Challenges for Family Nurse Practitioners The health care profession is being challenged to develop better methods and professionals are responsive to social and economic developments (Leatherman, 2001). Part of the changes unfolding are changing demands in health care services that translates in the need for professional development of health care professionals, staying current to researches and technologies and in redeveloping social services (Bouch, 2003). Nursing involves not only rendering medical services but also social oriented services. The Royal College of Nursing (2006) defines it as the "use of clinical judgment in the provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain, or recover health, to cope with health problems, and to achieve the best possible quality of life, whatever their disease or disability, until death" (p. 3). This definition highlights the significance of the profession to society in providing care and well-being. One of the critical respondents are Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) who provide advanced primary care nursing practice in community-based settings in response to the growing needs of social focused health initiatives today (Friedman et al, 2003). FNP's have various roles that contribute to the development of health and welfare networks. Understanding their roles is critical to any nursing professional so that services can be delivered to those who need them most. Family Nurse Practitioner Roles The roles taken by FNP's in the community can be considered as one of the most direct response to developing health needs of society. Though the roles FNP's are not exclusive from each other but rather are frameworks of function. However, it is critical to understand these roles to streamline efforts being done in communities. Efforts to increase health awareness and creating preventive care are seen as the most effective means of ensuring future medical crises are avoided but this entails greater coordination with other government agencies and the communities which may not be available for most settings (Gail et al, 2000). According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2000), there is continuing challenge to expand services to develop responsive and sensitive units for the profession. An analysis of the current trends is the first step in creating responsive programs that can impact the greatest amount of change and health in the future. The challenge is translating the insights to programs and initiatives that can truly respond to the developments. Professional Role FNP's plays several professional roles that range from medical to social services. As a medical professional, the FNP is tasked to deliver medical services that are directed or designed for treatment and rehabilitation (Royal College of Nursing, 20006). The FNP's role also extends to developing a feedback system regarding medical concerns that will enhance existing programs. As social service professional, the role of the FNP is extended into valuating social indicators and conditions that may impair the treatment or rehabilitation. The role extension to social services has only be defined recently and has been seen as key to the improvement of patients particularly in mental health programs. The major focus of existing programs of FNP's is in developing communication channels to enhance knowledge and awareness of issues. Particular focus has been given to improving diet and nutrition in homes (Masi et al, 2003). The program is structured to involve three main initiatives, developing better eating habits, developing community based efforts to support efforts and lobbying for health programs that tackle the issue. The role of FNP is in providing information about health issues, programs and support systems. In this capacity, the FNP addresses the concern focusing on the importance of family in developing health habits and awareness (Wright & Leahey, 2000). The training of FNP's affords them a humanistic approaching the practice of their profession that may not be as highlighted in other health professionals. Current evidence indicates that nursing interventions have been significantly successful in their participation in the community (Leatherman, 2001). Another factor in this role is the FNP's role in the management and development of care delivery systems. This includes their channels, methods and strategies. This function is different form providing services and focuses on the creation of scenarios that will create the scenarios for the success of services. The third component of the role is in the evaluation of programs that will yield information of future programs that are to be developed. Non-Nursing Role Another issue that has figured significantly for FNP's is the need for continuing education to keep at pace with technological and research developments (Bouch, 2003). Continuing education does not only include academics or professional development but should recognize training for emerging alternatives to support the role of FNP's as primary health professionals. A developing role of professionals in the health industry today has been in the development of various out-patient care and support systems that aim to increase rehabilitation and treatment effectiveness. Thus, the FNP's role is not just in the delivery of professional services but also extends to social leadership and mobilization. Studies are emphasizing the positive influence of community and family to patient recovery, nurses and doctors find themselves out in the field to provide information and insight to ordinary people to support related efforts (Sidani & Irvine, 1999). One advocacy that FNP's have contributed significantly is in the improvement of health literacy which refers to the aptitude of an individual to understand medical information, directives and consequences to the degree that the interpretation of the details promotes his health and well-being (Zarcadoolas et al, 2006, pp. 4-7). McCray (2005) extends this definition to having the ability to act accordingly to the health information. Being based in the community, an FNP also becomes more involved in social issues that may not fall in the traditional or defined roles of nursing. There has also been emphasis on the need for comprehensive understanding of the significance and principles of cultural issues that also include the recognition of disabilities, gender, social class, educational attainment, cultural notions and age (Gail et al, 2000). In recent years, the concern regarding the abuse and neglect of children has become highlighted. To respond to the concern, there is a need for FNP to become more actively trained in the identification and channels available for those who suffer from these conditions (Leatherman, 2001). The policies and practices for the front-line health workers have the potential of creating the most impact on improving child well-being in child particularly in situations when there has been no previous treatment or indication of neglect or abuse (Wright & Leahey, 2000). Value of Family Nurse Practitioners Comprehensive analyses of the fundamental principles of current trends in nursing indicate that professionals are dealing more with communities rather than individual conditions. The implication is that though advances in health that have allowed better detection of illnesses but it has yet been able to address other social concerns. Regardless of whether the trend is due to institutional or professional shortcomings, the reality is greater demand for FNP care is a compelling and urgent need in society today. According to Jean Watson, "Caring science is an evolving new field that is grounded in the discipline of nursing and evolving nursing science, but more recently includes other fields and disciplines" ("Caring Theory Defined", 2007). This is a good illustration of the importance of FNP's bring to communities. Since the profession is also exposed to actual social settings, if they possess sufficient comprehension of the issues, it can also contribute to greater sensitivity about issues and developments that may not be addressed by the standards of the field (Zarcadoolas et al, 2006). Without such a level of flexibility, responsiveness and flexibility, collaborative efforts that have become popular within and between cultural and social groups can not sustain its efforts in promoting health (Masi et al, 2003). Regardless of the issues involving FNP's, there should be a realization that comprehensive progress in advancing health can only be achieved by developing programs that respond to individuals and the community with equal sensitivity. These developments are reflective of society's globalization and greater awareness of health care options as can be seen in programs that now incorporate more external involvement to patient to care in the hopes of creating awareness and communal responsibility for health. References American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2000). Effective Strategies for Increasing Diversity in Nursing Programmes. Retrieved on March 18, 2007 from www.aacn.nche.edu. Bouch, J. (2003). Continuing professional development for psychiatrists: CPD and learning. Advan. Psychiatr. Treat., MarchVolume 9 Number 2 81 - 83. Bouguet, D. (2002). Convergence in Social Welfare Systems: What Are We Talking About. Comparing Dynamics of Transformation of Social Protection Systems in Context of Globalization and European Construction. Oslo Norway: Welfare Reforms for the 21st Century - Second Conference Caring Theory Defined (2007). Retrieved on March 18, 2007 from http://www2.uchsc.edu/son/caring/content/Definition.asp Family Nurse Practitioner (2007). Retrieved on March 18, 2007 from http://www.tri-college.org/trinursing/fnp.htm Friedman, M. M., Bowden, V. R., & Jones, E. J. (2003). Family nursing: Research, theory, & practice (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Gail L. Ingersoll, McIntosh, Elaine and Williams, Mamie (2000). Nurse-sensitive outcomes of advanced practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing32:5 pp 1272-1281 Leatherman, S. (2001) Measuring up: Performance indicators for better healthcare. OECD Observer No. 229 Masi, C.M., Suarez-Balcazar, Y., Cassey, M.Z., Kinney, L., Piotrowski, Z.H. (2003). Internet access and empowerment: a community-based health initiative". J Gen Intern Med 18(7). pp. 525-530. McCray, Alexa T. (2005). Promoting Health Literacy. J Am Med Inform Assoc 12: 152-163. Royal College of Nursing (2006) Retrieved on March 18, 2007 from http://www.rcn.org.uk/downloads/definingnursing/definingnursing-a5.pdf Sidani, Souraya and Irvine, Diane (1999). A conceptual framework for evaluating the nurse practitioner role in acute care settings. Journal of Advanced Nursing 30 (1). pp 58-66 Wright, L. M., & Leahey, M. (2000). Nurses and families: A guide to family assessment and intervention (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: F. A. Davis. Zarcadoolas, Christina, Pleasant, Andrew and Greer, David S. (2006). Advancing Health Literacy: A Framework for Understanding and Action. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons. Read More