Family Nursing Practitioners and Their Roles - Research Paper Example

Family Nursing Practitioner Family Nursing Practitioner Introduction Nursing is one of the most demanding professions in the whole world. Nurses are entitled to ensure that the patients are treated well while undergoing their medication. It is necessary to count the cost first before deciding to venture into the nursing profession. It is an interesting field as well a challenging field depending on the interests of the profession. There are various categories of nurses with different roles and responsibilities. Nurses play an important role in providing quality healthcare to the people. Their effort has helped to save many lives in the hospitals and also in homes. The paper will seek to give the similarities and the differences of the different categories of nurses, discuss the leadership qualities needed in the nursing profession, and health policy and the Advanced Practice Role. Similarities and differences in the roles of the NP, nurse educator, nurse informaticist, and nurse administrator Similarities In offering education to patients, all these categories of nurses are actively involved in the process of educating the patients and offering advice where possible. In clinical practice, they are responsible in practicing their profession for both inpatient and outpatient departments in the health institution. They also offer consultancy services to both the patients and their families and their guardians on health issues. Moreover, they extend their services to clinical doctors by helping them whenever needed because most of the times they report to the doctors. These professionals also engage in the policy formulation processes of creating a conducive environment for the nursing practice. Primarily, these professionals are concerned with the well-being of the patients first. Although they have diverse roles, they prioritize in human healthcare. All other subsidiary roles should not be practiced at the expense of human life. It is a requirement one to have a degree in nursing education. All the nurses are required to adhere to a prescribed code of conduct by the board and they face similar disciplinary charges for any misconducts. They are all eligible to apply for membership in the professional bodies that cater for the needs of the nurses and the patients’ altogether. Finally, they are actively involved in a continuous learning process in order for them to remain relevant in their jobs. Distinct roles of the different types of nurses There exist a number of differences between the roles and the duties of the above categories of nurses. The nurse adminstrators The nurse administrators in their clinical practice for example, play very unique roles compared to the other categories of the nurses. They are involved in the managerial roles in the hospital such as decision making and policy formulation. They are a bit advanced in their education compared to the NP and the nurse educator. Nurse administrators play a supervisory role over all the junior nurses. In administration matters, all the other categories of nurses report to the nurse administrator because he/she is the overall supervisor. Nurse informaticists The nurse informaticists have a wider scope of operation because they play diverse roles. They are authorized to participate in the development of sophisticated health gadgets and their testing. Other nurses such as the NP are not licensed to carry out such kind of research. Their area of study in education is wider compared to the NP and the nurse educator because it is blended with information technology and science. Additionally, their scope of research is compared to all the other categories since they cross-pollinate ideas from science and technology into the nursing sector. Therefore, they cover a detailed curriculum which makes them strategic in their profession Nurse educator The nurse educators play the role of documenting new research findings in order facilitate a smooth learning for the other categories of nurses. Nurse educators play offer new learning materials such as updated books and manuals to the nurses which makes them bankers of information in this profession. In primary care, the nurse educator is sometimes required to have a doctorate for them to be certified to operate in some institutions. Nurse practitioner The nurse practitioner plays a relatively simpler role compared to the other types of nurses. A nurse practitioner is responsible for the general activities involved in taking care of the patients, especially the unborn and the old people as part of their primary care. Their area of research is limited compared to the other nurses. For instance, the nurse educator because they perform the basic roles of a nurse. They report to the nurse administrator. The California state family nurse practitioner legal requirements The requirements of a family nurse practitioner differ from state to state in the United States. However, other requirements such as the level of education are universal requirements. In the state of California, a family nurse practitioner must be a Registered Nurse (RN). A registered nurse is authorized to practice the nursing profession backed with a certified license from the state. Also, a master’s degree in nursing is a must for all those who are willing to join this profession. Additionally, a master’s degree in a closely related field of study to nursing is a qualification that can be accepted in the Californian state. Furthermore, the state of California extends the requirements down further to a degree in nursing although this is not a common occurrence. The nursing profession is quite a sensitive one, and the government cannot afford to gamble for human life. Serious regulations and requirements are imposed in order to lock out those individuals who are tempted to practice the profession for money (Buerhaus, 2008). Therefore, the government of California cannot accept anything less than a certificate from the nursing board stating that the aspiring practitioner has undergone the training sessions successfully. The nursing field has many areas that one can specialize in. One can either be a family nurse practitioner, an adult nurse practitioner, padiatric nurse practitioner among others. However, a nurse is only allowed to practice in one nursing field at a time in the Californian state. Professional organizations available for membership of the family nurse practitioner Professional nursing organizations are very helpful while one is practicing the nursing profession. These organizations work hard to ensure the nursing profession remains relevant and necessary in this age and the coming one (Shields, 2002). The organizations do not only advocate for the needs of the nurses’ but also the needs of the patients. They suggest the measures that need to be taken and propose proper amendments. There are many professional organizations nationally as well as in the State of California. American Association of Nurse Practitioners This organization has been in existence for the last 50 years. It is a body that accommodates the different categories of nurses without prejudice regarding their specialty. This is the largest body of nurses who have come together for the well-being of their profession. Apart from offering professional guidance to the newly recruited members, training and education related to the nursing profession is also provided for the members. Research is a core element in the entire medical profession because of the dynamic nature of this field (Larsen, 2003). Therefore, this organization conducts research and later disseminates information to the registered members placing them on the front line in ensuring a healthy nation. Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association This organization has been in operation for the last 35 years. It is a collection of nurses from all over the U.S. The main aim of the organization is to further the education needs of the members so that they remain relevant in their profession. Primarily, it caters for the needs of the advanced nurses who have attained a master’s degree in the nursing field. The body focusses attention on the older generation and provides ways in which the nursing profession can fight the illnesses associated with old age. National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Womens Health This association was started due to the rising cases of deterioration of women’s health. This was particularly during childbearing and other related cases. The body offers training to its members and provides them with adequate knowledge to fight the rising cases of maternal and paternal deaths. The body is also involved in carrying out research and giving professional advice to the nurses and the patients. In California, the associations available for the family nurse practitioner are Practitioners, California, Northern California Chapter of GAPNA, Orange County NAPNAP Chapter, and Redding Area PA & NP Alliance among others. These bodies are a stepping stone for many family nursing practitioners all over the United States. Most advanced nurse specialists have benefited career-wise through their membership. Required Competencies, including Certification Requirements for Family Nurse Practitioner First, it is important to note that the course of becoming a family nurse practitioner is not an easy one. It is a five year journey that an aspiring nurse must undergo. The nurse must show high levels of understanding in the levels of his/her training. Some of the areas tested include the family and counselling, signs and symptoms, legal and ethical issues among others. Family nurse practitioners must be highly competent in the carrying out diagnostic and therapeutic tests (Nogueras, 2005). Other competencies required include healthcare economics and practice management and the ability to understand different cultures and beliefs. A family nurse practitioner must be a master’s degree holder in nursing. Also, he/she must be a holder of the Registered Nurse (RN) license in order for him/her to join the profession or to re-apply for certification. The practitioner must have had a minimum of 500 clinical hours of active engagement in family nursing. In order to be certified, concrete information concerning the performance of the nurse during their 500 clinical hours is needed. The Future Organization Working at the Bithealth Inc. Hospital formed one of the most interesting times of my life. Bithealth Inc. offered me one of my eagerly awaited experiences in my profession. The staff and the fellow workers became part of my closest friends and partners. Bithealth Inc. is situated in San Francisco and is the second largest hospital in California. There are more than three hundred nurses who practice different kinds of speciality according to their profession. All these nurses are supervised and managed by ten nurse administrators. The hospital managers are qualified doctors who hail from different fields of healthcare. The organization upholds high levels of integrity and commitment to deliver quality health care services to its customers. The main mission of the company is to employ the available resources both human and financial in coming up with affordable healthcare services to the patients. Apart from being a centre for integrity, the organization boasts of other core values which includes, trustworthiness, quality, communication and accountability. The diverse fields of nursing work together seamlessly to provide the needed services to the patients. The nurse informaticists are the hub of information and the powerhouses behind the innovations in the hospital. Health detecting gadgets and sophisticated laboratory equipment are the work of their creativity and reasoning power. They have helped to integrate science and technology to meet the human health needs. The field of family nursing has made landmark improvements in the provision of quality of healthcare services to family members since the inception of this service 10 years ago. Family members have real-time communication with the nurses with instant feedback message delivered in the blink of an eye. The use of technologically-efficient tools has brought tremendous success to the organization, especially in the cost-cutting activities. Also, maintenance costs are greatly reduces as the patients’ documents are easily accessible. Leadership attributes and Advanced Practice Role The leadership style is delegative. This is a leader who believes in the people below him too that they can perform and reason appropriately in different situations. It is the opposite of the dictatorial leadership style where the leader makes the final say. Currently, the leadership traits that are evident in my life is the ability to delegate, to interact with others and the ability to recognise others. A delegative leader is accommodative and desires the best for all the members of the team. In addition, I carefully pay attention to details and speak very little while in group meetings. I also value the power of teamwork and the spirit of a team. Therefore, the workers below me are able to exercise autonomy at a higher degree because part of decision making is solely dependent on them. I always strive to ensure equality in amongst the members of the team and try to show how strong we are when united. I am a strong believer of harmony in the team and that is one of my key drivers in this medical profession. However, there are areas I need to work on as a leader and a nurse practitioner. I will need to improve on my interpersonal skills, especially interacting on the workers on one-on-one basis. Junior colleagues may fear to approach me with questions or suggestions citing that I do not interact with them at a personal level. Moreover, I need to improve on my communication skills to avoid late announcements for the meetings and their respective venues. Also, communicating with the workers might bear positive fruits, especially in the areas of solving disputes and negotiations instead of taking a back seat or throwing the matter into the periphery. In order to attain the missing attributes, team building activities such as games and brainstorming sessions will help in creating interpersonal relationships with the members of the team (Randle, 2003). Also, creating platforms for discussions will help in bonding as people share ideas and life experiences. Finally, regular visits to the other departments is important because the one can interact with members and discuss even at personal level the different underlying issues at the workplace. I will also invest heavily in visiting the juniors outside the work environment and organizing for get together meetings to enhance collaboration. Health Policy and the Advanced Practice Role The health policy being discussed here is the policy for reporting unlawful and unethical conduct in the organization. This policy is aimed at curbing the malpractices that the nurses or the medical professionals extend to the clients. It is crystal clear that many nurses mistreat their patients or sometimes give a preferential treatment to some of the patients at the expense of others. Therefore, equality must be administered to all the clients in the hospital set up without discrimination. The benefit of this policy is that it monitors the behaviors of the workers to identify the areas of non-conformance to the required regulations and standards (Robert wood foundation, 2005).. The process of changing the law will involve a series of steps. First, the individual will be required to report the issue to the concerned authorities requesting for consideration in to the particular law. Second, the authorities will handle the matter as required by the law. Third, where the individual feels dissatisfied with the response provided by the management, he or she can make an effort of surrendering the matter to the board. The board has a final say on the change of policies. Finally, the process is concluded by making suggestions concerning the action that should be taken as remedy to the situation (Robert wood foundation, 2005). As certified nurse practitioner, I am well placed to convince a change in the policy. With a vast field in the management of the patients’ affairs, I have suggestions that are evidence based that can be used to make changes in the health policy. Also, with the aid of other medical practitioners, I am confident that the quest for a change in the policy can be successful. Medical practitioners have been actively involved in the process of the changing and regulating the laws concerning the medical field for the last decades. Additionally, with the help of the organizations and associations that cater for the needs of the nurses, one is able to push for changes in the policy. Health care quality can be increased if there is a change in the health policy. Increased visibility into the general conduct of medical practitioners can be very helpful as cases of impartiality and preferential treatment are avoided. Also, cases of mistreatment of patients can be eliminated fully if the nurses and other professionals are monitored at the best interests of the patient. Therefore, an effort should be placed to ensure that there is greater transparency and accountability in the nursing field in order to curb some of the old vices that have been exprecienced before. Conclusion There exist a lot of similarities as well as differences between the different nursing professions. There is need to specialize in only one area of the nursing profession as it is a demanding field. There are various organizations that bring the entire nursing field together through the registration of members. These associations are actively involved in the process of educating their members as well as preparing them for the future. Family nurse practitioners must be highly competent in the carrying out diagnostic and therapeutic tests. Other competencies required include health care economics and practice management and the ability to understand different cultures and beliefs. There are a number of attributes that are needed in order that one may lead others effectively. A leader must possess strong interpersonal skills at the workplace so that he/she may be able to relate well with the team members. The team members must work cohesively and in one spirit, so that the goals of the organization may be realized. Health policies are important because they set a framework by which the workers operate. These policies should be changed to reflect the conditions in the medical industry. References Buerhaus, P. I. (2008). Current and future state of the US nursing workforce.JAMA, 300(20), 2422-2424 Larsen, P. D., McGill, J. S., & Palmer, S. J. (2003). Factors influencing career decisions: perspectives of nursing students in three types of programs. The Journal of nursing education, 42(4), 168-173 Nogueras, D. J. (2005). Occupational commitment, education, and experience as a predictor of intent to leave the nursing profession. Nursing economic$,24(2), 86-93. Robert wood foundation. (2005). Policy for reporting unlawful and unethical conduct. Randle, J. (2003). Bullying in the nursing profession. Journal of advanced nursing, 43(4), 395-401 Shields, M. A., & Price, S. W. (2002). Racial harassment, job satisfaction and intentions to quit: evidence from the British nursing profession. Economica,69(274), 295-326 Read More