Discuss, why might the development and morphing roles based on gaps in medicine be problematic for advancement of APRNs? What actions might a nurse take to reduce this? .. Begin the discussion with the question that need to be addressed.

Future Consideration for the Advance Practice Nurse Role

Why might the development and morphing roles based on gaps in medicine be problematic for advancement of APRNs?

For nurses, and other health care providers, meeting the needs of patients is their primary responsibility. However, greater consumer awareness and expectations, needs of disenfranchised populations, an aging population, a plethora of new information and technologies, and increasing regulations, exert an unrelated demand on health care providers at every care level. This state of affairs is further complicated by the shortage of physicians and other medical personnel, especially in primacy care. It is for this reason that advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) were developed. Over time, the role of APRN has evolved to meet the increasing needs of patients in both the outpatient and inpatient settings. Educated at the master’s or post-master’s level, APRN take on a specific patient population and clinical role, with certification to reflect the specialized nature of their education. In fact, APRN are able to collaborate and consult with their physician colleagues and other medical personnel as part of the health care team. To be more precise, APRNs see patients and are able to ease stresses in the health care system, particularly those experienced by underserved populations in urban and rural settings (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019).

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This makes it clear that the role of APRN morphs based on gaps in medicine as they seek to fill the emerging gaps in care provision. While the gaps in medicine are responsible for the development and morphing roles of nurses, they also make advancement of APRN problematic as they (APRNs) appear to be a temporary solution that is not intended for the long-term. Firstly, APRN role development has morphed to fill gaps in services, especially in the face of shortage of physicians. This implies that APRNs would become redundant should these gaps be filled using other strategies. Also, they (APRNs) would become redundant if the number of physicians increase so that there is no shortage (DeNisco & Beauvais, 2020). Future Consideration for the Advance Practice Nurse Role Essay Paper Secondly, there is a lack of clarity regarding APRNs role uniqueness. That is because what APRNs do, can be done by other professions. This means that even when APRNs are not present, other professions can be engaged to fill the gap. Thirdly, there is a dearth in nursing specific outcomes as the APRNs roles extend beyond the traditional nursing roles. This raises questions on whether APRN would still be considered nurses if the care they provide does not seek a nursing specific outcome even if they have a nursing background (Ervin & Kulbok, 2018).

What actions might a nurse take to reduce this?

There is a need for advocacy action to advance the understanding that APRNs are trained under a nursing model that allows them to bring a nursing perspective that highlights family involvements, counseling and health education, disease prevention, and health promotion. This is unlike physicians who are trained under a medical model that emphasizes pathophysiology, physiology and anatomical structures related to health and disease processes (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019). Advocacy efforts should ensure that APRN are recognized as a unique and critical profession within any health care environment. APRN are ready to independently see patients and ease the stresses that health care systems experience. However, their roles are limited by the misconception about what independent practice implies. Allowing APRNs to practice independently does not mean that they would practice without others. Rather, it means that they would be the first to see patients before collaborating with other disciplines and specialties as needed. With this recognition and ability to practice independently, APRNs would no longer be considered a temporary solution that fills the existing gaps, and would instead be considered a unique profession that addresses an existing needs and is here to stay. It is important that APRNs not be recognized as a temporary solution, but as a unique profession that was created in response to an existing need. With this awareness, APRNs would no longer face practice restrictions even when licensed based on their specialty, but would instead be allowed to practice to the full extent of their certification, education and training (Joel, 2018).

References

DeNisco, S. M. & Beauvais, A. M. (2020). Advanced Practice Nursing: Essential Knowledge for the Profession (4^th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.

Ervin, N. E., & Kulbok, P. A. (2018).  Advanced Public and Community Health Nursing Practice: Population Assessment, Program Planning, and Evaluation (2^nd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.

Joel, L. A. (2018). Advanced Practice Nursing: Essentials for Role Development (4^th ed.). F.A. Davis Company.

Zaccagnini, M., & Pechacek, J. M. (Eds.) (2019). The Doctor of Nursing Practice Essentials: A New Model for Advanced Practice Nursing (4^th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.  Future Consideration for the Advance Practice Nurse Role Essay Paper