Advanced Practice Nurse Regulation Paper

Inconsistent regulation of Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN) role and scope of practice prevent a seamless healthcare system in which APN can practice. Advanced practice nursing roles and opportunities are increasing globally due to the necessity of expert nursing care at an advanced level of practice. An APRN is a registered nurse who has developed the complex decision-making skills, expert knowledge base, and clinical competencies for expanded practice, and are shaped by the context and/or country in which she or he is credentialed to practice. The practice of APRN is underpinned by the regulatory mechanisms and country specific practice regulations. An APRN practice includes several components including the ability to diagnose, prescribe treatments,

Yet, there are many barriers exist with respect to APRNs being able to practice to the full extent of their capabilities, which includes, variation among the fifty states with respect to scope of practice, prescriptive authority, and collaborative practice requirements. Efforts to standardize the APRN role is taking place since the endorsement of the APRN consensus model which recommends uniformity in licensure, accreditation, certification and education in all 50 states by the year 2015. Several ongoing initiatives are taking place to address the barriers of APRN practice include active campaigns to bring public awareness and impact policy to remove restrictions to practice. Federal and State laws and regulations as well as individual organization and practice site bylaws and policies can also influence APRN practice requirements. It is important to address the practice restrictions to promote uniformity in APRN practice among the fifty states. It is important to eliminate the barriers to APRN practice as it can reduce costs of care, increase patient’s choice, and improve healthcare quality (Kleinpell et al.,

However, many barriers are still exist in their practice such as, state practice and licensure, physician related issues, payer policies and restricted prescriptive privileges. The APRN practice is regulated by state licensure, only one third of the nation has adopted full practice authority licensure and practice laws for APN. Variation in scope of practice across states has a direct impact on patient care as the supervision of physician may affect opportunities and payer policies of APN. Consequently, it is important to have full practice authority for APNS to reduce these barriers. Many physician professional organizations still believe that APNs are incapable of providing quality and safe care at the physician’s level. As healthcare is evolving, it is important for physicians and APNs to collaborate to achieve best practice. Lack of knowledge of APNs scope-of-practice has been identified as a barrier to successful collaboration. Thus, it is significant to have effective collaborative models of care that embrace the efforts of all members of the healthcare team. Restrictive scope of practice can lead to stricter payer policies and limits the APNs ability to