Impact of Nurse Practitioner Practice Regulations Discussion

Impact of Nurse Practitioner Practice Regulations Discussion

 

Professional Nursing and State-Level Regulations Sheila Response

Thank you, Shelia, for your discussion post. I agree with you that state regulation provides limitations for nurses to practice thoroughly in healthcare. A nurse’s scope of practice involves various tasks, including examining the patient’s condition, ordering tests, prescribing drugs, and providing treatment. However, depending on the state, some nurses can practice the activities independently, while others must collaborate or be under a physician’s supervision. Impact of Nurse Practitioner Practice Regulations Discussion

In Alabama state, to practice nursing, one must meet all educational, training, and experiential requirements. In addition, they must be licensed through approval from the Alabama Board of nursing. I agree that regulations in Alabama are reduced such that, in some instances, a nurse must have a collaborative agreement with a physician with an unrestricted license from the Alabama state (Nursinglicensure.org, 2022). Additionally, the physician must meet all board experience requirements to collaborate with nurses. I must also highlight that in addition to restrictions in prescribing some drugs independently, a nurse in Alabama cannot sign a death permit without collaboration from the physician. In other states like Texas, a nurse is wholly restricted to practice entirely independently without physician supervision. For example, in Texas, when prescribing certain drugs, they must comply with specific board rules, the texas board of pharmacy, and the drug enforcement administration (Texas Board of Nursing, 2022). However, APRNs in both states are governed by the Nurse Practice Act.Impact of Nurse Practitioner Practice Regulations Discussion

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The APRNs comprise the largest sector in healthcare and as such, they are a significant element in providing quality, patient-centered, and focused care (Ortiz et al., 2018). Thus, restricting or reducing their scope of practice may be a barrier to achieving the above-mentioned goals. Therefore, I hope some states will lose the restrictions to enable them to practice their full scope. Impact of Nurse Practitioner Practice Regulations Discussion

References

Nursinglicensure.org. (2022). How to Become a Nurse Practitioner in Alabama | APN Requirements in AL – NursingLicensure.org. NursingLicensure.org – A more efficient way to find nursing license requirements in your state. Retrieved 30 June 2022, from https://www.nursinglicensure.org/np-state/alabama-nurse-practitioner/#script.

Ortiz, J., Hofler, R., Bushy, A., Lin, Y., Khanijahani, A., & Bitney, A. (2018). Impact of Nurse Practitioner Practice Regulations on Rural Population Health Outcomes. Healthcare, 6(2), 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6020065

Texas Board of Nursing. (2022). Texas Board of Nursing – Practice – Guidelines. Bon.texas.gov. Retrieved 30 June 2022, from https://bon.texas.gov/practice_guidelines.asp.html#RG_APN_SCOPE.

Professional Nursing and State-Level Regulations

Nurse practitioners usually work in areas where health care is needed. Unlike physicians who follow the money, nurse practitioners establish their practice in areas with the most significant health care need (Davis et al., 2018). To perform optimally, nurses should work to the fullest of their training, education, and experience. However, state-level regulations affect how nurses work, including collaboration and the power to prescribe certain medications. Impact of Nurse Practitioner Practice Regulations Discussion

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) work under the reduced practice in Alabama. The defining element of the reduced practice is the state regulations reducing the nurses†ability to engage in at least one aspect of the practice (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2022). One of the boardâ€s regulations is a career-long regulated collaborative agreement with a physician; the practice commences once all the requirements are met (Alabama Board of Nursing, n.d.). The other regulation is prescribing controlled substances with varying levels of restrictions. Nurse practitioners do not have full authority to prescribe some controlled substances (Schedule II-V). The situation is somewhat different in Texas, where nurse practitioners function under restricted practice. In Texas, APRNs work under career-long supervision from physicians to provide patient care (Wofford, 2019). They cannot prescribe Schedule II drugs.

The abovementioned regulations apply differently to APRNs with the legal authority to practice within the full scope of their education and experience. Unlike APRNs under reduced or restricted practice, APRNs under the full practice authority do not need career-long supervision or collaboration. State practice and licensure laws allow them to diagnose, treat, and prescribe medications and controlled substances (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2022). To adhere to the required regulations, APRNs should fully understand standardized procedures and execute their mandates as authorized.

Patient care quality and access depend on the availability of health practitioners. Despite this critical need, some states limit nurses†ability to practice according to their education and training. Alabama is among such states since nurses must work under reduced practice. This implies that nurse practitioners must collaborate with another health care provider, primarily a physician. Impact of Nurse Practitioner Practice Regulations Discussion