Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP), Certified Nurse Midwifery (CNM), and Physician Assistant are all mid-level providers yet have different roles in the health care system. Mid-level providers have their position and specialty in providing care to other areas of health care. Also, every state has its unique scope on how they function and providing care to the individual. Manning et al. (2018) described that as paradigms of health care delivery evolve, mid-level providers such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants have become an essential consideration in the health care workforce planning and patient care. According to the AMA Journal of Ethics (2021), physician assistants are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine under physician supervision. Their role is to conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order, and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and write prescriptions (AMA Journal of Ethics, 2021). AANP (2021) described that the Nurse Practitioner has autonomously and collaborates with health care professionals and other individuals; NPs provide a full range of primary, acute, and specialty health care services. A nurse-midwife is a licensed health care professional who specializes in women’s reproductive health and childbirth. In addition, attending births, perform annual exams, give counseling, and write prescriptions (Staff Writers, 2021). In a profession as dynamic as nursing, and with evolving health care demands, changes in the scope of practice and overlapping responsibilities are inevitable in our current and future health care system. Each of these roles will have a significant impact on my practice as a Nurse Practitioner. Mid-level providers working in different areas and specialties significantly impact each other by providing care to each area that the patient needs it.
For example, last semester, I did my clinical rotation for adults across the life span. I had a female patient came to the clinic with an annual pap smear. The result came in, and it was positive; my preceptor was able to refer the patient to Gynecology for further examination and treatment. Another example, when I have a patient who came in with non-compliance Type 2 diabetes with acute kidney injury. My preceptor and I are able to refer the patient to Endocrinologist, nutritionist, nephrologist, and community group for diabetes. The number of patients with multiple and chronic medical conditions is increasing globally, which causes functional and emotional impairment to increase in health care demands. Ang et al. (2021) explain that collaboration in health care has been shown to enhance patient outcomes, including reducing preventable adverse drug effects, lowering morbidity and mortality rates, and adjusting medication dosages, especially in medical-based departments in a hospital. Besides improving patient care, health care providers have also benefited from teamwork, including reduced overlapping tasks, reduced burnout, and increased job satisfaction (Ang et al., 2021).
References
AANP. (2021). What’s a nurse practitioner (NP).https://www.aanp.org/about/all-about-nps/whats-a-nurse-practitioner
AMA Journal of Ethics. (2021). Illuminating the art of medicine.https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/physician-assistants-and-their-role-primary-care/2012-05
American Nurses Association (ANA). (n.d.). Scope of practice.https://www.nursing-world.org/practice-policy/scope-of-practice/
Order this paper