The health care system is overcrowded with more patients and insufficient health care providers, the need for advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) to fill this gap. Many areas in America are affected by the shortage of medical professionals. The shortage is based on limited medical schools and training facilities, and doctors tend to practice where they studied (Goral, 2016). Using Nurse practitioners will cover the health care gap, address the shortage of primary care physicians, reach out to more patients, and offer a cost-effective approach to both patients and the state (Liu et al., 2020). My desire to become an adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP) was drawn from growing up in a rural area with limited and insufficient health care opportunities. Also, working with a nurse practitioner who was a nurse, inspired me to further my education. Her patient interactions and involvement in the community outreach program were inspiring. My career choice as an AGACNP allows me to support and serve my community to treat both acute and stable patients of varying ages (13 and older).
It is easier said than done. It is not an easy pathway to be a nurse practitioner; the struggles and challenges that come with it can only be experienced, not imagined. The program requires commitment, self-discipline, time management, and devotion. It was easier in high school and college, where work, family, and school were not juggled together. Finding a balance with all these create a challenging process in completing schoolwork. Time management and self-discipline are my two most important driving forces in completing schoolwork promptly. Self-discipline is a characteristic needed in graduate education level given the level of academic demands is higher and the need to push beyond our limits. Another struggle is finding preceptor sites linked to my specialty. An increase in the number of nurse practitioners completing their educational programs poses a challenge for universities and health care organizations providing good training sites (Bazzell & Dains, 2017). My desire to practice in rural areas is problematic; they are limited to no facilities to complete preceptorship in these areas. There is an improvement in students’ clinical reasoning when a structured preceptor method and location are part of the clinical practice (Bazzell & Dains, 2017). Clinical experience in areas of interest helps promote community understanding and care needs (Brommelsiek & Peterson, 2020). The challenges do not stop my drive; knowing I can do good and change the lives of the few I encounter increases my passion to keeping pushing forward.
American nurses’ Association (ANA) is the largest nursing organization that is not limited to a particular state. This association offers its members unlimited research information on patient’s health wellness and recent updates or changes in the practice. It allows for nurse’s voice to be heard and promote changes in patient care. Another aspect is geriatric patients in rural areas have two or more comorbidities impacting their health, access to limited health care, and knowledge deficit on disease process and treatment plan (Amy et al., 2018). To enable me to understand the health challenges in these areas and gear me to meet their health care needs, joining Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA) will be a way to foster my care goals. The association focuses on health information on the geriatric population. As a member of both associations, I can access resources to expand my knowledge and expertise in meeting my patient care needs both the acutely ill and stable patients.
Amy Chanlongbutra, Gopal K. Singh, & Curt D. Mueller. (2018). Adverse childhood experiences, health related quality of life, and chronic disease risks in rural areas of the United States. ‐ Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2018. https://doiorg.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1155/2018/7151297
Bazzell, A. F., & Dains, J. E. (2017). Supporting nurse practitioner preceptor development. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 13(8), e375–e382. https://doiorg.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2017.04.013
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