NR 500 Week 4: APN Professional Development Plan Paper
NR 500 Week 4: Nurse Practitioner Professional Development Plan
NR 500 Week 4: APN Professional Development Plan Paper
Advanced Practice Nurse Scope of Practice
Nurse Practitioner Professional Development Plan
Advanced Practice Nurse Scope of Practice
The scope of practice of nurse practitioners is dependent on the state in which one applies for licensure. The scope of practice can be classified as full practice, reduced scope, and restricted scope practice. Currently across the US, most states have either restricted or reduced the scope of practice for nurse practitioners. Only 21 of the states offer nurse practitioners a full scope of practice. In Illinois, nurse practitioners are licensed to practice independently or in collaboration, or under other health care providers.
Educational Requirements
A prospective Advanced Practice Nurse must be a holder of RN licensure. He or she must be a graduate degree or a post-master certificate holder. The other prerequisite is that he or she must hold a certificate in advanced practice in any of the four advanced practice roles certified in Illinois (Illinois APN Requirements | Become a Nurse Practitioner in IL – NursingLicensure.org, 2020). Subspecialty advanced practice nursing is also acceptable when one desires to complete a second degree.
License Requirements
Illinois still practices examination-based certification before licensure. Certification is the sole purpose of corresponding bodies such as the midwives association, and anesthetists association. Nurse Practitioners hold certification from boards like the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program and the American Nurses Credentialing Center among others. Licensure is done by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and the Illinois Board of Nursing. The official graduation transcripts are a requirement before licensure. The licensing application costs $125 (Illinois APN Requirements | Become a Nurse Practitioner in IL – NursingLicensure.org, 2020). License renewal is done on a two-yearly basis so long as the APRN maintains certification.
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Regulatory Requirements
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) regulates the practice of nurse practitioners. For license renewal, the NP must have completed 80 hours of continuing medical education. License renewal is two years and costs $80.00 (Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, 2020). For re-licensure, the certifications of advanced practice must be maintained.
Practice Authority
Illinois has a restrictive law on the practice authority of nurse practitioners. Initially, Nurse Practitioners have to work under physician oversight. Licensing for practice authority requires a nurse practitioner to provide evidence of completion of at least 250 hours of training or continuous medical education or proof that they have at least 4000 hours of experience in the clinical setup (APRNs Granted “Full Practice Authority” in Illinois, 2020). An APRN license is also needed. These are the prerequisites for full practice authority.
Prescriptive Authority
Prescriptive authority is a jurisdiction that provides a healthcare provider with the sovereignty to prescribe medication to patients. The prescriptive independence of nurses has long remained a contentious issue and due to variations of this law in different states in the US, it remains complicated (Jiao et al., 2018). The legal aspects of prescriptive autonomy in Illinois are managed by the Illinois Department of Professional regulation. In the state of Illinois, Nurse practitioners lack complete independence hence they must be oversight by a physician. The laws require Nurse Practitioners to have a mid-level practitioner controlled substance license to have some prescriptive independence for controlled substances which is obtained by supplying a notice filled by a physician (Illinois General Assembly – Full Text of Public Act 096-0189, 2020). Generally, NPs can prescribe under a physician’s instruction. Retaining the licensure on prescription requires a regular renewal of the license and a good reputation. These hurdles in prescriptive authority are meant for ultimate patient safety and high-quality care.
Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) enlists a set of 10 domains of competencies for Nurse Practitioners. Each domain depicts a set of skills that a nurse practitioner needs to have. These competencies are aligned with the AACN essentials. These competencies are useful in the development of curricula for postgraduate studies. They include competencies in the domain of knowledge for nursing practice, patient-centered care, population health, scholarships for nursing disciplines, quality and safe care, partnerships across different professions, systems-based practice, professionalism, informatics, and health care technology application, and personal and leadership development (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021).
Personally Strong competency Areas
After a detailed review of the ten competencies of a nurse practitioner, I can confidently mention that interprofessional partnerships are the real deal for me. Generally, I am a very outgoing person. As early as high school, I have had a great interest in statistics, finding out why things occur in some pattern, and remedies that can be put in place to alleviate suffering. This has over time pulled me into research. Through research, I partner with organizations and individuals in a quest to make life bearable. I collaborate with physicians, pharmacists, and laboratory technologists among others to actualize studies that have been useful in the formulation of policies that guide practice. My second competency is in individualized patient-centered care. I am a strong advocate for both evidenced based practice and culturally competent care. My love for humanity knows no bounds. This puts me at a vantage point to ensure patient satisfaction in the process of provision of care. I am a fierce patient advocate. I have been that fierce since I began my practice. According to Karaca & Durna, (2019) patient satisfaction improves the outcome and reduces readmission rates. At my former workplace, I introduced a survey for patients’ level of satisfaction with the care provided. This helped us improve our areas of weakness as an organization.
Competency Areas Where There is Room for Growth
I have also noted two areas in which I should improve my competencies. The first domain is Informatics and Healthcare Technologies. For a long time, I have viewed the Information Technology aspect of healthcare as a very hard concept. Healthcare is for sure revolutionizing health care and I risk being left behind. Aspects like mHealth, telemedicine, and electronic health records are important new developments. I feel like this domain has such a high level of essentiality even for my endeavors in research studies. Electronic health records allow for timely access to data for studies (De Benedictis et al., 2020). The second area where there is room for growth is leadership. I have an immense loathing for the process of politics. This notion has for a long time made me view leadership as a secondary issue in my life. I have learned that through leadership, policies are influenced. These policies could be great ideas to improve the quality and safety of care. I have it in my plan to join the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) to help me nurture my skills in this domain of leadership. My expansive interactions with individuals in the nursing profession and beyond the profession have helped me view myself as a great organizer which is one of the strengths required in leadership.
Scholarly Activities to Help Achieve NP Competencies
I would want to continue improving on my weakness and soaring on my strengths. I am a member of the American Nurses Association. It is in my plans to join the American Association of Nurse practitioners. I have participated in research studies, and done an article in collaboration with my friends which is yet to be published. This is certainly a good foundation that I would like to build on. With my interest leaning more toward research, I have planned to join a few nurse professional organizations which focus on research. Joining these organizations brings me closer to like-minded professionals who can help me grow my leadership skills. I have made steps towards embracing the informatics aspect of health. I have planned to pursue a short course in health informatics soon. I have a mentor that inspires me to pursue my plans. I would someday like to be an inspiration to people. This thought keeps me alive and has helped me accomplish my plans.
Leadership Skills
Leadership Skills Required to Lead in Complex Systems
Nurse Practitioner is a high cadre in nursing. This makes an NP to be looked up to for guidance on a myriad of issues from time to time. This calls for a nurse practitioner to be equipped with leadership skills. Communication is the first skill and one of the most important skills me. Proper communication is a critical skill in ensuring the success of a unit. It allows the leader to exercise empathy with both patients and nurses. Communication is a major factor in job satisfaction for nurses (Jankelová & Joniaková, 2021). Other skills include critical thinking which is essential in problem-solving. Lastly, organizational management skill is crucial to both the success of the hospital organization and patient satisfaction.
Strategies to Help Develop NP Leadership Skills
Learning is the first step to developing leadership skills. Learning can be done from the observation of role models. Learning can also be actualized by taking a course on leadership. Perfection of skills is through practice in day-to-day interactions (Johnson et al., 2020). Situational awareness and discernment are often successful strategies in the development of skills.
Conclusion
As the nursing profession advances, there is a need to have more subspecialties in nursing. This calls for professional development and educational advancement. Just like all health professionals, licensing and certification are important. This serves as a safeguard for safety and quality in patient care. The knowledge of competencies and weaknesses will help shape me into the professional that I would want to be. I will capitalize on the insights I have gained thus far to help me design a clear path in career development
NR 500 Week 4: APN Professional Development Plan Paper References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/AcademicNursing/pdf/Essentials-2021.pdf
APRNs Granted “Full Practice Authority” In Illinois. (2020, November 24). Www.mbhealthlaw.com. https://www.mbhealthlaw.com/aprns-granted-full-practice-authority-in-illinois#:~:text=In%20order%20for%20an%20APRN
De Benedictis, A., Lettieri, E., Gastaldi, L., Masella, C., Urgu, A., & Tartaglini, D. (2020). Electronic Medical Records implementation in hospital: An empirical investigation of individual and organizational determinants. Plos One, 15(6), e0234108. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234108
Illinois APN Requirements | Become a Nurse Practitioner in IL – NursingLicensure.org. (2020, November 4). https://www.nursinglicensure.org/np-state/illinois-nurse-practitioner/
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, (2020). https://nursing.illinois.gov/PDF/2020-02_IL_APRN_CE_Relicensure_FAQ.pdf
Illinois General Assembly – Full Text of Public Act 096-0189. (2020). Www.ilga.gov. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=096-0189&print=true&write=
Jankelová, N., & Joniaková, Z. (2021). Communication Skills and Transformational Leadership Style of First-Line Nurse Managers in Relation to Job Satisfaction of Nurses and Moderators of This Relationship. Healthcare, 9(3), 346. NCBI. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9030346
Jiao, S., Murimi, I. B., Stafford, R. S., Mojtabai, R., & Alexander, G. C. (2018). Quality of Prescribing by Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Assistants in the United States. Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy, 38(4), 417–427. https://doi.org/10.1002/phar.2095
Johnson, O., Begg, K., Kelly, A. H., & Sevdalis, N. (2020). Interventions to strengthen the leadership capabilities of health professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review. Health Policy and Planning, 36(1), 117–133. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czaa078
Karaca, A., & Durna, Z. (2019). Patient satisfaction with the quality of nursing care. Nursing Open, 6(2), 535–545. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.237\
Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a meta-synthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20(62), 1–13. https://bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2
Educational Requirements
I intend to practice as an APN in the state of Florida. The Florida Board of Nursing credentials APNs. Advanced practice nurses have specific educational requirements for them to practice in Florida. First, the nurses must have completed a master’s or post-master program in advanced nursing practice. The nurse should also be certified by a recognized specialty board. There is also the mandatory requirement that one must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited institution (Toney-Butler & Martin, 2022). The duration of bachelor’s training should be four years.
License Requirements
Advanced practice nurses should apply for licensure before practicing in their diverse specialties. They apply their licensure to the Department of Health for them to take the licensure examinations. Applicants are expected to pay a fee that does not exceed $150. The applicants must meet requirements for licensure besides the educational requirements that include being of good mental and physical health, being able to communicate in English, and completing the exam within six months of graduation. Florida also offers licensure by endorsement for nurses that meet the requirements set by the board. The nurse should be certified by a specialty board and has competencies that align with those of the advanced practice registered nursing set by the board (Toney-Butler & Martin, 2022).
Regulatory Requirements
The state Nursing Practice Act sets the regulations for advanced practice nurses in Florida. The board regulates various aspects of advanced practice nursing that include licensure requirements, the scope of practice, prescriptive authority, collaboration or supervision requirements, reimbursement under Medicaid, standards of practice, and educational requirements (Toney-Butler & Martin, 2022).
Practice Authority
Advanced practice nurses in Florida have independent practice authority. They have the authority to practice without physician oversight. They have the authority to provide care within their areas of specialization and educational level. The requirement for advanced practice nurses to practice independently is that they must accumulate at least 3000 hours of experience under physician supervision. The APN should also complete a graduate-level course in pharmacology and differential diagnosis (Toney-Butler & Martin, 2022).
Prescriptive Authority
Advanced practice nurses in Florida may prescribe or dispense controlled substances defined in section 893.03 if they have graduated from a doctoral or master’s degree program in clinical nursing specialty from a recognized institution. The prescribed substances include those listed in Schedule IV, III, and II. Psychiatric nurse specialists are licensed to prescribe controlled substances listed in HB 977 of Florida Statutes. They may also initiate, monitor, and revise treatments for uncomplicated acute illnesses (Toney-Butler & Martin, 2022).
Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies
Competency Areas That are Personally Strong
One of my areas of strength in the nurse practitioner core competencies is scientific foundation
competencies. I believe that I have adequate competencies in the use of scientific concepts in nursing practice. I can critically analyze evidence and data to inform my advanced practice nursing roles. I undertake critical analysis of evidence to determine the credibility and safety of recommended practices in nursing. I also have adept knowledge and skills in the translation of knowledge from other disciplines such as humanities into nursing science. The incorporation is important to ensure holism in nursing practice. I am also competent in the translation of research findings into nursing practice (Chan et al., 2020). Therefore, I can lead interprofessional roles that aim at using evidence in advanced practice nursing.
My other competency that I consider an area of strength is quality competencies. I believe that quality is an essential component in advanced nursing practice. I have developed adept knowledge and skills in utilizing the best available evidence to improve quality in clinical practice. I can confidently utilize best practice recommendations to improve patient care outcomes. I can also use project or strategy variables to determine the relationship between safety, quality, cost, and access and their effect on healthcare experiences and outcomes of the diverse populations (Board, 2018). I can also influence organizational cultures by instilling practices that contribute to continuous quality improvement.
Competency Areas Where There is Room for Growth
One of the competencies that I believe that I need to develop is leadership competencies. Advanced practice nurses should have adequate leadership skills in their practice. However, I feel that I still need to develop some areas of my leadership competencies. One of the areas is leading multidisciplinary teams in providing complex care to patients. I have not had adequate opportunities to develop my abilities in leading multidisciplinary teams involved in the patient care process (Chan et al., 2020). I also have to improve my leadership abilities in advocating patients’ improved access to high quality, efficient, and safe care.
The other competency for growth is policy competencies. I have had minimal opportunities to participate in policy initiatives that influence nursing practice. As a result, I believe that my knowledge and skills in contributing to policy development in healthcare are inadequate. My knowledge and skills in the evaluation of global policy are also below average, affecting my ability to influence health policies at local, state, and international arenas (Chan et al., 2020). Therefore, I need to explore ways in which I can improve on these aspects of professional competency as an advanced practice nurse.
Scholarly Activities to Help Achieve NP Competencies
One of the scholarly activities that I will engage in to achieve nurse practitioner competencies is researching issues that affect advanced practice nursing. I will research and publish articles on emerging issues in advanced practice nursing and critique the recommended practices for patient care. I will also share my research findings with other healthcare providers to inform their practice (Kirkman et al., 2018). The research will broaden my understanding of new practice aspects and recommendations that should be incorporated to enhance care outcomes for diverse populations.
The other scholarly activity that I will engage in to achieve nurse practitioner competencies is attending scientific conferences related to nursing and healthcare. Scientific conferences will expose me to new practice interventions used in nursing practice. They will also broaden my understanding of the translation of evidence into practice. The conferences will also strengthen my understanding of how to enhance advanced nursing practice through research, education, and advocacy (Kross & Guo, 2019). Therefore, through the above activities, I believe that I will achieve the stated nursing practice competencies for advanced practice nurses.
Leadership Skills
Three Leadership Skills Required to Lead in Complex Systems
One of the leadership skills that are required by advanced practice nurses to lead within complex systems is team skills. A nurse practitioner should be an active team player in teams involved in addressing complex issues in health organizations. The nurse should communicate effectively with others and drive the collective realization of the team objectives (Anderson, 2018). The nurse should also practice effective team leadership skills such as delegation, open communication, transparency, and encouraging innovation among those he or she leads.
The other skill is problem-solving. As leaders, nurse practitioners should possess adequate knowledge and skills in solving organizational problems. They should be able to utilize ethical problem-solving methods in determining the best courses of action in case of ethical dilemmas in their practice. Nurse practitioners should also be able to prioritize the alternatives that are needed to address the identified organizational problems (Heinen et al., 2019). The last leadership skill needed for nurse practitioners to lead in complex systems is active listening. Nurse practitioners should be active listeners. They should be able to understand the actual needs, values, and preferences of their patients and other healthcare providers. Active listening contributes to trust, enhanced understanding of the patient’s needs, and patient-centeredness in the care process (Heinen et al., 2019).
Two Strategies to Help Develop NP Leadership Skills
One of the strategies that I will consider to develop my nursing practitioner leadership skills is engaging in continuous learning activities. I will actively explore the available opportunities for leadership growth such as training on excellent leadership practices. I will also immerse myself in the emerging evidence about best leadership practices in nursing and healthcare (Grossman & Valiga, 2020). I will also accept delegated leadership roles and seek to assist others in completing their assigned complex roles.
The second strategy that I will explore to develop my nurse practitioner leadership skills is working on my identified strengths and weaknesses. I will always strive to understand areas of my strength and weaknesses as a leader. I will emphasize utilizing my strengths to overcome the identified weaknesses and threats for continuous professional development as a nurse leader. I will also incorporate reflective practice into my professional life to identify the things that I do well and areas of practice that require improvement. Reflective practice will contribute to the continuous growth and development of my leadership skills.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Florida Board of Nursing has developed requirements for advanced practice nursing education, licensure, and practice. Nurse practitioners in Florida have independent practice authority and expanded prescription authority. I have areas of strength that relate to the nurse practitioner’s core competencies and opportunities that I need to explore for my professional growth. Nurse practitioners should possess unique leadership skills such as team and active listening skills for them to lead complex organizational systems. Interventions that include focusing on my strengths and weaknesses and lifelong learning will contribute to the development of my desired leadership skills as a nurse practitioner.
NR 500 Week 4: APN Professional Development Plan Paper References
Anderson, C. (2018). Exploring the role of advanced nurse practitioners in leadership. Nursing Standard.
Board, S. N. (2018). Core competencies of advanced practice nurse.
Chan, T. E., Lockhart, J. S., Thomas, A., Kronk, R., & Schreiber, J. B. (2020). An integrative review of nurse practitioner practice and its relationship to the core competencies. Journal of Professional Nursing, 36(4), 189–199.
Grossman, S. C., & Valiga, T. M. (2020). The New Leadership Challenge: Creating the Future of Nursing. F.A. Davis.
Heinen, M., van Oostveen, C., Peters, J., Vermeulen, H., & Huis, A. (2019). An integrative review of leadership competencies and attributes in advanced nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75(11), 2378–2392. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14092
Kirkman, A., Wilkinson, J., Scahill, S., Kirkman, A., Wilkinson, J., & Scahill, S. (2018). Thinking about health care differently: Nurse practitioners in primary health care as social entrepreneurs. Journal of Primary Health Care, 10(4), 331–337. https://doi.org/10.1071/HC18053
Kross, S., & Guo, P. J. (2019). Practitioners Teaching Data Science in Industry and Academia: Expectations, Workflows, and Challenges. In Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1–14). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300493
Toney-Butler, T. J., & Martin, R. L. (2022). Florida Nurse Practice Act Laws and Rules. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532859/
NR500NP-60450 Week 4: APN Professional Development Plan Paper Overview
Nurse Practitioner Professional Development Plan
Advanced Practice Nurse Scope of Practice
The scope of practice of nurse practitioners is dependent on the state in which one applies for licensure. The scope of practice can be classified as full practice, reduced scope, and restricted scope practice. Currently across the US, most states have either restricted or reduced the scope of practice for nurse practitioners. Only 21 of the states offer nurse practitioners a full scope of practice. In Illinois, nurse practitioners are licensed to practice independently or in collaboration, or under other health care providers.
Educational Requirements
A prospective Advanced Practice Nurse must be a holder of RN licensure. He or she must be a graduate degree or a post-master certificate holder. The other prerequisite is that he or she must hold a certificate in advanced practice in any of the four advanced practice roles certified in Illinois (Illinois APN Requirements | Become a Nurse Practitioner in IL – NursingLicensure.org, 2020). Subspecialty advanced practice nursing is also acceptable when one desires to complete a second degree.
License Requirements
Illinois still practices examination-based certification before licensure. Certification is the sole purpose of corresponding bodies such as the midwives association, and anesthetists association. Nurse Practitioners hold certification from boards like the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program and the American Nurses Credentialing Center among others. Licensure is done by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and the Illinois Board of Nursing. The official graduation transcripts are a requirement before licensure. The licensing application costs $125 (Illinois APN Requirements | Become a Nurse Practitioner in IL – NursingLicensure.org, 2020). License renewal is done on a two-yearly basis so long as the APRN maintains certification.
Regulatory Requirements
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) regulates the practice of nurse practitioners. For license renewal, the NP must have completed 80 hours of continuing medical education. License renewal is two years and costs $80.00 (Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, 2020). For re-licensure, the certifications of advanced practice must be maintained.
Practice Authority
Illinois has a restrictive law on the practice authority of nurse practitioners. Initially, Nurse Practitioners have to work under physician oversight. Licensing for practice authority requires a nurse practitioner to provide evidence of completion of at least 250 hours of training or continuous medical education or proof that they have at least 4000 hours of experience in the clinical setup (APRNs Granted “Full Practice Authority” in Illinois, 2020). An APRN license is also needed. These are the prerequisites for full practice authority.
Prescriptive Authority
Prescriptive authority is a jurisdiction that provides a healthcare provider with the sovereignty to prescribe medication to patients. The prescriptive independence of nurses has long remained a contentious issue and due to variations of this law in different states in the US, it remains complicated (Jiao et al., 2018). The legal aspects of prescriptive autonomy in Illinois are managed by the Illinois Department of Professional regulation. In the state of Illinois, Nurse practitioners lack complete independence hence they must be oversight by a physician. The laws require Nurse Practitioners to have a mid-level practitioner controlled substance license to have some prescriptive independence for controlled substances which is obtained by supplying a notice filled by a physician (Illinois General Assembly – Full Text of Public Act 096-0189, 2020). Generally, NPs can prescribe under a physician’s instruction. Retaining the licensure on prescription requires a regular renewal of the license and a good reputation. These hurdles in prescriptive authority are meant for ultimate patient safety and high-quality care.
Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) enlists a set of 10 domains of competencies for Nurse Practitioners. Each domain depicts a set of skills that a nurse practitioner needs to have. These competencies are aligned with the AACN essentials. These competencies are useful in the development of curricula for postgraduate studies. They include competencies in the domain of knowledge for nursing practice, patient-centered care, population health, scholarships for nursing disciplines, quality and safe care, partnerships across different professions, systems-based practice, professionalism, informatics, and health care technology application, and personal and leadership development (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021).
Personally Strong competency Areas
After a detailed review of the ten competencies of a nurse practitioner, I can confidently mention that interprofessional partnerships are the real deal for me. Generally, I am a very outgoing person. As early as high school, I have had a great interest in statistics, finding out why things occur in some pattern, and remedies that can be put in place to alleviate suffering. This has over time pulled me into research. Through research, I partner with organizations and individuals in a quest to make life bearable. I collaborate with physicians, pharmacists, and laboratory technologists among others to actualize studies that have been useful in the formulation of policies that guide practice. My second competency is in individualized patient-centered care. I am a strong advocate for both evidenced based practice and culturally competent care. My love for humanity knows no bounds. This puts me at a vantage point to ensure patient satisfaction in the process of provision of care. I am a fierce patient advocate. I have been that fierce since I began my practice. According to Karaca & Durna, (2019) patient satisfaction improves the outcome and reduces readmission rates. At my former workplace, I introduced a survey for patients’ level of satisfaction with the care provided. This helped us improve our areas of weakness as an organization.
Competency Areas Where There is Room for Growth
I have also noted two areas in which I should improve my competencies. The first domain is Informatics and Healthcare Technologies. For a long time, I have viewed the Information Technology aspect of healthcare as a very hard concept. Healthcare is for sure revolutionizing health care and I risk being left behind. Aspects like mHealth, telemedicine, and electronic health records are important new developments. I feel like this domain has such a high level of essentiality even for my endeavors in research studies. Electronic health records allow for timely access to data for studies (De Benedictis et al., 2020). The second area where there is room for growth is leadership. I have an immense loathing for the process of politics. This notion has for a long time made me view leadership as a secondary issue in my life. I have learned that through leadership, policies are influenced. These policies could be great ideas to improve the quality and safety of care. I have it in my plan to join the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) to help me nurture my skills in this domain of leadership. My expansive interactions with individuals in the nursing profession and beyond the profession have helped me view myself as a great organizer which is one of the strengths required in leadership.
Scholarly Activities to Help Achieve NP Competencies
I would want to continue improving on my weakness and soaring on my strengths. I am a member of the American Nurses Association. It is in my plans to join the American Association of Nurse practitioners. I have participated in research studies, and done an article in collaboration with my friends which is yet to be published. This is certainly a good foundation that I would like to build on. With my interest leaning more toward research, I have planned to join a few nurse professional organizations which focus on research. Joining these organizations brings me closer to like-minded professionals who can help me grow my leadership skills. I have made steps towards embracing the informatics aspect of health. I have planned to pursue a short course in health informatics soon. I have a mentor that inspires me to pursue my plans. I would someday like to be an inspiration to people. This thought keeps me alive and has helped me accomplish my plans.
Leadership Skills
Leadership Skills Required to Lead in Complex Systems
Nurse Practitioner is a high cadre in nursing. This makes an NP to be looked up to for guidance on a myriad of issues from time to time. This calls for a nurse practitioner to be equipped with leadership skills. Communication is the first skill and one of the most important skills me. Proper communication is a critical skill in ensuring the success of a unit. It allows the leader to exercise empathy with both patients and nurses. Communication is a major factor in job satisfaction for nurses (Jankelová & Joniaková, 2021). Other skills include critical thinking which is essential in problem-solving. Lastly, organizational management skill is crucial to both the success of the hospital organization and patient satisfaction.
Strategies to Help Develop NP Leadership Skills
Learning is the first step to developing leadership skills. Learning can be done from the observation of role models. Learning can also be actualized by taking a course on leadership. Perfection of skills is through practice in day-to-day interactions (Johnson et al., 2020). Situational awareness and discernment are often successful strategies in the development of skills.
NR 500 Week 4: APN Professional Development Plan Paper Conclusion
As the nursing profession advances, there is a need to have more subspecialties in nursing. This calls for professional development and educational advancement. Just like all health professionals, licensing and certification are important. This serves as a safeguard for safety and quality in patient care. The knowledge of competencies and weaknesses will help shape me into the professional that I would want to be. I will capitalize on the insights I have gained thus far to help me design a clear path in career development.
Immersive Reader
Week 4: APN Professional Development Plan Paper Overview
This video may reference 6th edition APA. APA has since been updated. Current APA edition is expected to be used in all course assignments.
Transcript Wk 4 APN Development Plan Overview
- Hi! Today we will be going over the requirements for your Week 4 APN Development Plan paper.
2. The purpose of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to explore the nurse practitioner (NP) scope of practice requirements in in the state where you plan to practice after graduation. You will also be taking a look at the NONPF NP competencies and leadership skills required in the NP role. You will be considering scholarly activities you can do to help yourself achieve the competencies and expand your leadership skills.
The due date for the assignment is Sunday 11:59 p.m. MT at the end of Week 4. Please submit the paper to the APN Development Plan Paper dropbox.
The Total Points Possible for the assignment is 200.
3. The assignment will address course outcomes 1, 3, and 4.
4. The assignment should be created using Microsoft Word. It will be graded on the quality of information you provide. Be sure to support your work with scholarly resources and include citations in APA format. Follow the rules for Standard English grammar and sentence structure. Content should be well-organized with appropriate transitions between paper sections.
Also, be sure to follow the assignment instructions and rubric closely. Scroll down in the assignment guidelines to see the criteria and point distribution.
If you have questions, post them in the Q & A Forum. If questions are of a more personal nature, please email your instructor.
5. The paper should be 5-8 pages in length, excluding the title and reference pages. APA format is required, with both a title page and reference page.
Be sure to support ideas with a minimum of 3 scholarly sources. Also, while the minimum requirement is that you use material from at least three scholarly sources, it is expected that you provide appropriate reference support throughout the paper. You should have a reference citation for any ideas that are not your own and are not common knowledge. You may use first-person voice when describing the state where you plan to practice, and your personal strengths and opportunities for growth in relation to the competencies and leadership skills.
6. Here are some reminders about what does and does not constitute a scholarly source.
7. Be sure to include section headings in your paper. Including headings will make your paper easier to follow and will help you to be sure that you’ve covered all the required content. Information about how to format section headings is contained on page 62 of your APA Publication Manual. The first section of your paper is an introduction. Just a reminder, in APA format, the heading of the introductory section should be a restatement of the paper title, not the word Introduction.
8. The first section of this paper is the introduction. Your introduction should provide a brief overview of what will be covered in the paper. Include some general statements on the nurse practitioner scope of practice, nurse practitioner competencies, and leadership. Be sure that you identify the purpose of your paper in the introduction.
9. In the next section of the paper, you will explore the scope of practice guidelines for the state in which you plan to practice after graduation. Describe the educational and certification requirements for NPs in your state. Discuss whether your state is a full, reduced, or restricted practice state in relation to physician collaboration. Discuss the state’s guidelines for NP prescriptive authority. Are there any limitations or special requirements? The section should be supported by at least one scholarly resource. Your state’s board of nursing website is a good place to start looking for information for this section and may be used as your scholarly source.
10. Next, you will explore the topic of nurse practitioner competencies. Please use the competencies described by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties or NONPF. A link to the competencies document is located under the readings for week 2. Additional information about the competencies is provided in the week 4 lesson. Review the competencies. Describe two competency areas in which you feel you have strengths and two areas in which you would like to grow by the end of the program. For the areas in which you’d like to grow, discuss two scholarly activities you could do to help improve your competencies. Examples of things you could do might include joining a professional organization, doing a literature search in the library, finding a mentor, or participating in research or quality improvement initiatives in your current practice environment. Be sure to support this section with at least one scholarly source.
11. As master’s prepared nurse practitioners, you will be in a position to provide professional leadership. There are many skills that help nurses be good leaders. Analyze three leadership skills the help NPs to provide leadership. Describe two strategies for improving your personal leadership skills. Provide support for this section from at least one scholarly source. A library search will yield a number of great articles on APN leadership.
12. The conclusion of your paper should include a brief summary of what you discussed as well as a sentence or two tying everything together.
13. Be sure to follow APA guidelines for formatting your paper. You may find it helpful to have your APA Manual on hand as you’re writing. If you are not familiar with APA or if you need more information, there are great tips and tools under the APA Citation and Writing link in Resources and in the library. Your paper will need to have title and reference pages. Some common APA errors include not having a running head on title page, putting extra spaces between paragraphs and references, using incorrect capitalization in references, or using incorrect in-text citation format.
Chapters 6 and 7 of your APA Manual contain a lot of detailed information and sample formatting for your references and in-text citations. If you are using direct quotes in your paper, be sure to put them in quotation marks and provide a page or paragraph number in the citation. Just note that it’s important to limit your use of direct quotes in graduate level writing. You are expected to synthesize ideas in your own words.
14. Be sure that your writing follows Standard English rules for grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation. Limit the use of first-person voice unless you are talking about your personal competencies and leadership skills. You may also you first person voice when you discuss which state you plan to practice in. Content should be well-organized. Be sure to stay within the required page count. Part of writing at the graduate level involves being able to edit your work to fit assignment parameters.
15. Be sure to submit your work on time. The assignment is due on Sunday of week 4 at 11:59pm MT. There is a 10% per day deduction for late submission up to 3 days. Assignments may not be submitted after 3 days. That said, sometimes circumstances arise that interfere with your ability to submit on time. If you are not able to submit by the required deadline, be sure to reach out to your instructor as soon as possible to discuss your options. We are here to support you.
16. This assignment will automatically submitted to content-matching software to check for plagiarism. Turnitin is integrated into the dropbox for this paper. Turnitin will compare your work to other student papers, online sources, print sources and other sources to look for matches. When you submit your paper to the dropbox, a report will be generated. You can view the report by clicking on the Grades link in the course. When the report is generated, you will see a colored box to the right of the assignment link. If you click on the box, you can see the report.
You will want to open the report and review it. You can disregarding matches on the title and reference pages. You can also disregard most small, 3-5 word matches. If you have full sentences or paragraphs matching word-for-word to outside sources, be sure to revise those sections and resubmit the paper. You can resubmit a paper once to bring down the match percentage. If you choose to resubmit, the second submission will be graded. The first time you submit the paper, it may take up to an hour to generate the report, so it is recommended that you submit ahead of the assignment deadline to give yourself time to revise and resubmit if you need to.
17. Just remember: You can do it! You’ve got this!
Advanced Practice Nurse Scope of Practice
The scope of practice of nurse practitioners is dependent on the state in which one applies for licensure. The scope of practice can be classified as full practice, reduced scope, and restricted scope practice. Currently across the US, most states have either restricted or reduced the scope of practice for nurse practitioners. Only 21 of the states offer nurse practitioners a full scope of practice. In Illinois, nurse practitioners are licensed to practice independently or in collaboration, or under other health care providers.
Educational Requirements
A prospective Advanced Practice Nurse must be a holder of RN licensure. He or she must be a graduate degree or a post-master certificate holder. The other prerequisite is that he or she must hold a certificate in advanced practice in any of the four advanced practice roles certified in Illinois (Illinois APN Requirements | Become a Nurse Practitioner in IL – NursingLicensure.org, 2020). Subspecialty advanced practice nursing is also acceptable when one desires to complete a second degree.
License Requirements
Illinois still practices examination-based certification before licensure. Certification is the sole purpose of corresponding bodies such as the midwives association, and anesthetists association. Nurse Practitioners hold certification from boards like the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program and the American Nurses Credentialing Center among others. Licensure is done by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and the Illinois Board of Nursing. The official graduation transcripts are a requirement before licensure. The licensing application costs $125 (Illinois APN Requirements | Become a Nurse Practitioner in IL – NursingLicensure.org, 2020). License renewal is done on a two-yearly basis so long as the APRN maintains certification.
Regulatory Requirements
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) regulates the practice of nurse practitioners. For license renewal, the NP must have completed 80 hours of continuing medical education. License renewal is two years and costs $80.00 (Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, 2020). For re-licensure, the certifications of advanced practice must be maintained.
Practice Authority
Illinois has a restrictive law on the practice authority of nurse practitioners. Initially, Nurse Practitioners have to work under physician oversight. Licensing for practice authority requires a nurse practitioner to provide evidence of completion of at least 250 hours of training or continuous medical education or proof that they have at least 4000 hours of experience in the clinical setup (APRNs Granted “Full Practice Authority” in Illinois, 2020). An APRN license is also needed. These are the prerequisites for full practice authority.
Prescriptive Authority
Prescriptive authority is a jurisdiction that provides a healthcare provider with the sovereignty to prescribe medication to patients. The prescriptive independence of nurses has long remained a contentious issue and due to variations of this law in different states in the US, it remains complicated (Jiao et al., 2018). The legal aspects of prescriptive autonomy in Illinois are managed by the Illinois Department of Professional regulation. In the state of Illinois, Nurse practitioners lack complete independence hence they must be oversight by a physician. The laws require Nurse Practitioners to have a mid-level practitioner controlled substance license to have some prescriptive independence for controlled substances which is obtained by supplying a notice filled by a physician (Illinois General Assembly – Full Text of Public Act 096-0189, 2020). Generally, NPs can prescribe under a physician’s instruction. Retaining the licensure on prescription requires a regular renewal of the license and a good reputation. These hurdles in prescriptive authority are meant for ultimate patient safety and high-quality care.
Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) enlists a set of 10 domains of competencies for Nurse Practitioners. Each domain depicts a set of skills that a nurse practitioner needs to have. These competencies are aligned with the AACN essentials. These competencies are useful in the development of curricula for postgraduate studies. They include competencies in the domain of knowledge for nursing practice, patient-centered care, population health, scholarships for nursing disciplines, quality and safe care, partnerships across different professions, systems-based practice, professionalism, informatics, and health care technology application, and personal and leadership development (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021).
Personally Strong competency Areas
After a detailed review of the ten competencies of a nurse practitioner, I can confidently mention that interprofessional partnerships are the real deal for me. Generally, I am a very outgoing person. As early as high school, I have had a great interest in statistics, finding out why things occur in some pattern, and remedies that can be put in place to alleviate suffering. This has over time pulled me into research. Through research, I partner with organizations and individuals in a quest to make life bearable. I collaborate with physicians, pharmacists, and laboratory technologists among others to actualize studies that have been useful in the formulation of policies that guide practice. My second competency is in individualized patient-centered care. I am a strong advocate for both evidenced based practice and culturally competent care. My love for humanity knows no bounds. This puts me at a vantage point to ensure patient satisfaction in the process of provision of care. I am a fierce patient advocate. I have been that fierce since I began my practice. According to Karaca & Durna, (2019) patient satisfaction improves the outcome and reduces readmission rates. At my former workplace, I introduced a survey for patients’ level of satisfaction with the care provided. This helped us improve our areas of weakness as an organization.
Competency Areas Where There is Room for Growth
I have also noted two areas in which I should improve my competencies. The first domain is Informatics and Healthcare Technologies. For a long time, I have viewed the Information Technology aspect of healthcare as a very hard concept. Healthcare is for sure revolutionizing health care and I risk being left behind. Aspects like mHealth, telemedicine, and electronic health records are important new developments. I feel like this domain has such a high level of essentiality even for my endeavors in research studies. Electronic health records allow for timely access to data for studies (De Benedictis et al., 2020). The second area where there is room for growth is leadership. I have an immense loathing for the process of politics. This notion has for a long time made me view leadership as a secondary issue in my life. I have learned that through leadership, policies are influenced. These policies could be great ideas to improve the quality and safety of care. I have it in my plan to join the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) to help me nurture my skills in this domain of leadership. My expansive interactions with individuals in the nursing profession and beyond the profession have helped me view myself as a great organizer which is one of the strengths required in leadership.
Scholarly Activities to Help Achieve NP Competencies
I would want to continue improving on my weakness and soaring on my strengths. I am a member of the American Nurses Association. It is in my plans to join the American Association of Nurse practitioners. I have participated in research studies, and done an article in collaboration with my friends which is yet to be published. This is certainly a good foundation that I would like to build on. With my interest leaning more toward research, I have planned to join a few nurse professional organizations which focus on research. Joining these organizations brings me closer to like-minded professionals who can help me grow my leadership skills. I have made steps towards embracing the informatics aspect of health. I have planned to pursue a short course in health informatics soon. I have a mentor that inspires me to pursue my plans. I would someday like to be an inspiration to people. This thought keeps me alive and has helped me accomplish my plans.
Leadership Skills
Leadership Skills Required to Lead in Complex Systems
Nurse Practitioner is a high cadre in nursing. This makes an NP to be looked up to for guidance on a myriad of issues from time to time. This calls for a nurse practitioner to be equipped with leadership skills. Communication is the first skill and one of the most important skills me. Proper communication is a critical skill in ensuring the success of a unit. It allows the leader to exercise empathy with both patients and nurses. Communication is a major factor in job satisfaction for nurses (Jankelová & Joniaková, 2021). Other skills include critical thinking which is essential in problem-solving. Lastly, organizational management skill is crucial to both the success of the hospital organization and patient satisfaction.
Strategies to Help Develop NP Leadership Skills
Learning is the first step to developing leadership skills. Learning can be done from the observation of role models. Learning can also be actualized by taking a course on leadership. Perfection of skills is through practice in day-to-day interactions (Johnson et al., 2020). Situational awareness and discernment are often successful strategies in the development of skills.
NR 500 Week 4: APN Professional Development Plan Paper Conclusion
As the nursing profession advances, there is a need to have more subspecialties in nursing. This calls for professional development and educational advancement. Just like all health professionals, licensing and certification are important. This serves as a safeguard for safety and quality in patient care. The knowledge of competencies and weaknesses will help shape me into the professional that I would want to be. I will capitalize on the insights I have gained thus far to help me design a clear path in career development.
NR 500 Week 4: APN Professional Development Plan Paper References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/AcademicNursing/pdf/Essentials-2021.pdf
APRNs Granted “Full Practice Authority” In Illinois. (2020, November 24). Www.mbhealthlaw.com. https://www.mbhealthlaw.com/aprns-granted-full-practice-authority-in-illinois#:~:text=In%20order%20for%20an%20APRN
De Benedictis, A., Lettieri, E., Gastaldi, L., Masella, C., Urgu, A., & Tartaglini, D. (2020). Electronic Medical Records implementation in hospital: An empirical investigation of individual and organizational determinants. Plos One, 15(6), e0234108. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234108
Illinois APN Requirements | Become a Nurse Practitioner in IL – NursingLicensure.org. (2020, November 4). https://www.nursinglicensure.org/np-state/illinois-nurse-practitioner/
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, (2020). https://nursing.illinois.gov/PDF/2020-02_IL_APRN_CE_Relicensure_FAQ.pdf
Illinois General Assembly – Full Text of Public Act 096-0189. (2020). Www.ilga.gov. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=096-0189&print=true&write=
Jankelová, N., & Joniaková, Z. (2021). Communication Skills and Transformational Leadership Style of First-Line Nurse Managers in Relation to Job Satisfaction of Nurses and Moderators of This Relationship. Healthcare, 9(3), 346. NCBI. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9030346
Jiao, S., Murimi, I. B., Stafford, R. S., Mojtabai, R., & Alexander, G. C. (2018). Quality of Prescribing by Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Assistants in the United States. Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy, 38(4), 417–427. https://doi.org/10.1002/phar.2095
Johnson, O., Begg, K., Kelly, A. H., & Sevdalis, N. (2020). Interventions to strengthen the leadership capabilities of health professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review. Health Policy and Planning, 36(1), 117–133. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czaa078
Karaca, A., & Durna, Z. (2019). Patient satisfaction with the quality of nursing care. Nursing Open, 6(2), 535–545. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.237\
Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a meta-synthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20(62), 1–13. https://bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2
WEEK 4 REFLECTION
This week learned that a leader is a role model for a group of people. Leaders must first be competent before guiding others. The increasing burden on healthcare systems resulting from the high number of patients requires the nursing practitioner to have management and leadership skills to guide their decisions and collaborate with patients and other healthcare professionals. The connective leadership styles are a management approach that addresses the interaction between the nurse practitioner and other healthcare managers and subordinates and the task performance. Connective leadership styles require the nurse practitioner to utilize various skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication.
The nurse practitioner can use one style of connective leadership or a combination of various types to support the delivery of high-quality patient care. Transformational leadership constitutes connective leadership styles where the nurse practitioner motivates healthcare staff to own their roles and deliver exceptional patient care. Specchia et al. (2021) explain that transformational leaders understand how to convey loyalty through shared goals leading to increased productivity and highly motivated employees. Specchia et al. (2021) add that transactional leadership is also a connective leadership style characterized by reward, recognition, and corrective actions based performance of tasks. Also, servant and resonant leadership are effective connective leadership styles (Specchia et al., 2021).
My leadership characteristics align mostly with transformational leadership. I prefer to use idealized influence, motivation, and inspiration while working in a team or being the leader of such a team. Specchia et al. (2021) argue that transformational leaders motivate team members to do more tasks through charismatic influence and help others deliver the job they thought impossible. This characteristic of transformational leadership describes my leadership personality. Additionally, I can use my transformational leadership personality and power as a nurse practitioner to build modern diverse healthcare teams and influence other healthcare staff to offer collaborative healthcare services that account for the patient’s needs and opinions throughout the process.
NR 500 Week 4: APN Professional Development Plan Paper Grading Rubric Guidelines
NOTE: To receive credit for a week’s discussion, students may begin posting no earlier than the Sunday immediately before each week opens. Unless otherwise specified, access to most weeks begins on Sunday at 12:01 a.m. MT, and that week’s assignments are due by the next Sunday by 11:59 p.m. MT. Week 8 opens at 12:01 a.m. MT Sunday and closes at 11:59 p.m. MT Wednesday. Any assignments and all discussion requirements must be completed by 11:59 p.m. MT Wednesday of the eighth week.
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