Leadership Attributes of the Advanced Practice Role
Leadership Attributes of the Advanced Practice Role
My leadership attributes involve encouraging others to contribute to the decision-making process. Open communication allows staff members to contribute through their diverse backgrounds. Nonetheless, staff members feel important because they are involved in the organization’s decision-making process. Furthermore, my leadership style fosters positive feedback and criticisms, which allow staff members to adjust, while focusing on improving the quality of care. The leadership style is similar to the transformational one, ideal for nurse professionals.
The transformational leadership style focuses on leading by example. The leader must be skillful, genuine and charismatic when performing his/her tasks. Leaders must perform exceptionally for others to emulate their actions and professionalism. I can adjust my leadership attributes to incorporate positive aspects of the transformative leadership style. For example, when brainstorming with colleagues for the best alternative, and I can perform such a task exceptionally, I should offer my contribution, undertake the task, and inspire others.
Advanced practitioners are agents of change who seek new ways to practice and improve care delivery and shape the organizational culture. Therefore, I will demonstrate my leadership qualities by advocating for individual, family and community well-being with treatment and the healthcare system that affects the quality of life when executing my role as an advanced practitioner. Furthermore, I will mentor nurse colleagues to ensure we work as a team. I will advocate for a positive organizational culture supporting quality patient outcomes.
FNP/AGNP
Bryant‐Lukosius et al. demonstrates that clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction levels for NPs are similar to MDs. However, Maier argues that NP care is cheaper because MDs have more years of education and that the extra cost means better care. However, more years of education does not necessarily equate to better care. The reason is that they have a primary role in offering preventive and intentional strategies that aim at educating the patient and communities in promoting their well-being. Additionally, they help manage and address patients’ psychological needs to ensure that they achieve holistic care. As a result, I believe NPs should be compensated better for the extra work and hours they engage with patients.
Bryant‐Lukosius et al. report that NPs provide quality care while utilizing the available resources. As a result, they ensure that health facilities and the healthcare system are cost-effective in the long run. Therefore, compensating them lower than MDs may demotivate their efforts in providing care and utilizing healthcare resources effectively. As a result, compensation should be performance-based to ensure that health practitioners receive remuneration on their value to the organization.
A major issue facing nurses nationwide is their ability to work to the extent of their training and education. Some states, such as Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, and Minnesota, allow all nurse practitioners to evaluate persons receiving medical treatment, and order, diagnose, and interpret medical tests. Nurses can also properly manage and initiate treatment as well as prescribe medication under the licensure of the State Board of Nursing. States that offer a reduced practice requiring physicians to supervise and delegate duties to NPs for them to provide care include Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, and Louisiana. States that offer restrictive practices include California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia. The restrictions, which also apply to the State of Florida, where I intend to practice, require supervision by a physician or surgeon for NP to provide direct care to patients.
Nurse Executive
Value-based care is a healthcare delivery model that focuses on improving quality and outcomes for patients by reimbursing providers for their efficiency and effectiveness. The goal of the value-based model is to standardize the delivery of care through the best practices. As a result, the value-based model aims to measure health outcomes against the cost of delivery. The value-based model allows organizations, as well as the healthcare systems, to be cost-effective and achieve efficiency and greater patient satisfaction. It offers an alternative to traditional methods of compensation that base their reimbursement on the number of performed services. Such models can incentivize the providers to order additional tests and procedures and extend the period for managing a condition to be paid more. Therefore, value-based care will help patients to recover quickly from illnesses and injuries and to avoid chronic conditions.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is an important law ensuring that patient information is protected, particularly when sharing with health providers to provide and promote quality care. The laws are important because they define the limit and circumstances under which a covered entity can disclose personal information. As a result, covered entities cannot engage in unethical behaviors, such as selling patients’ information to insurance providers and health providers for economic gains. For example, the law requires that a covered entity only share such information with written consent from the patient or personal representative.
Nurse Educator
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing aims to establish the quality and standard of nursing education. It assists Nursing schools in setting the policies and developing curricula, as well as influencing nurse professionals to improve the quality of care through research, practice and continuous learning. The board is a jurisdictional governmental agency in 50 states responsible for regulating the nursing profession. The board oversees program approval, which is essential for the licensure of nursing professionals and learning institutions. The board also defines the recognition of a nursing education program and a policy framework for adopting programs through various modes of study delivery. Furthermore, the board regulates the conduct of various professional bodies by giving states the responsibility to protect the public by developing laws that promote the interest of the nursing profession and public health.
Trends and Policy Issues
A recent development that affects aspiring Advanced Nurse Practitioners in all specialties is the emergence of the Doctor of Nursing Practice. Traditionally, ANPs must earn a Master of Science in nursing to qualify for national and state licensure in their specialization. However, there are policy debates on raising the entry-level to doctorate and making it the standard for licensure and certification. Raising the entry-level will positively impact the nursing profession as long as the nurses have autonomy in their fields of specialization. The reason is that nurses may not gain the interest or motivation to advance their skills if they cannot perform independently. Even with this, the requirement might be an entry barrier for aspiring nurses who may opt for other professions, leading to a shortage of certified nurses.
For the policy to be effective, policymakers must engage all stakeholders, including practicing and aspiring nurses. Most importantly, the policy should involve educators responsible for offering the course. The curriculum should demonstrate the benefits that the graduates will add to the healthcare system and patient outcomes. The reason is that the programs should be consistent with qualifications for other medical professions that might bring conflict when delivering care. For example, the scope of operation for DNPs should be consistent with the role of the physicians since this might lead to a professional conflict when delivering care. The government, both at the state and the national level, should develop policies that recognize the new discipline and enact the relevant laws to ensure the independence of the professionals.
If I could lead the effort to influence the policy change, I would start by outlining the program’s benefits to the patients and, most importantly, the nurse practitioners because they are the key stakeholders in the policy decision. Secondly, I would engage the key professional bodies and regulatory agencies to establish the role of DNPs and the healthcare setting where the qualifications are applicable. The role must be distinct for other professional bodies and practitioners not to oppose the policy implementation. Furthermore, I would not advocate raising the entry level for licensure and certification. However, I suggest a new certification that recognizes DNPs. The reason is that raising the entry level will mean revoking licensure and certification for Aps, which may undermine their scope of operation.
Conclusion
FNPs are trained to perform comprehensive health assessments, diagnose and manage acute conditions and serve as the primary healthcare providers in different healthcare settings. FNPs are also leaders in their healthcare organization, where they impact change. The reason is that they have the skills to impact change and develop progressive healthcare delivery models. They are the ones to manage the needs of a diverse population with the use of technology and information. As advanced practitioners, FNPs work independently and in partnership with other healthcare professionals, depending on the state regulations, while undertaking their role as leaders and clinical professionals. Various policy challenges are barriers to licensure and certifications and the scope of operation for APs. However, policymakers should engage stakeholders to ensure the medical realm accepts the policy.
? References:
1. American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (n.d.). States categorized by type.
2. Blair, K. A., & Jansen, M. P. (2015). Advanced practice nursing: Core concepts for professional role development. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Order Now