NURS 680B Week 7 Discussion Advanced Health/Physical Assessment
NURS 680B Week 7 Discussion Advanced Health/Physical Assessment
NURS 680B Week 7 Discussion Advanced Health/Physical Assessment
Review the Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) scope of practice as defined by your practice state. Answer the following questions:
Share your findings of how your state defines an APRNs scope of practice.
Why are Standardized Procedures required for APRNs to practice?
List two (2) safeguards that Standardized Procedures provide the APRN.
Do Standardized Procedures need to include information about the furnishing of drugs and devices?
List three (3) patient scenario examples where you would feel compelled to collaborate with your supervising physician and why.
Use at least one scholarly source in addition to the Board of Registered Nursing website in support of your discussion. In your peer replies, please reply to at least one peer discussion point that is different than your own.
Since NPs are considered to be vital leaders of the health care team, standardized procedures are required to ensure that they function within their scope of practice to meet the primary health care needs of their patients. According to the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), standardized procedures are the legal mechanism for NPs to perform functions which would otherwise be considered the practice of medicine. Standardized procedures must be developed collaboratively by nursing, medicine, and administration in the organized health care system where they will be utilized. Since NPs work at various locations such as organized health care systems, acute care clinics, and home health agencies, standardized procedures must be formulated to ensure that the health care system functions competently and correctly.
Because of the nature of the Medical Practice Act and its strict authorization for physicians to diagnose mental and physical conditions, prescribe medications, and use other methods in the treatment of diseases, injuries, deformities, or other physical or mental conditions, standardized procedures are often required if any of these will be performed by a nurse practitioner. According to the BRN, a nurse practitioner may perform standardized procedure functions only under the conditions specified in a health care system’s standardized procedure and must provide the system with satisfactory evidence that the nurse meets its experience, training, and/or educational requirements to perform these functions competently. Since NPs provide services that frequently overlap the practice between nursing and medicine, standardized procedures include guidelines that require the nurse practitioner to seek physician consultation when clinically necessary. Because of this realization, only nurse practitioners that satisfactorily meet the standards delineated by the BRN are allowed to assume responsibility and accountability for the continuity of health care for all individuals seeking inpatient treatment and stabilization.
Although the scope of practice and demand for nurse practitioners are growing, written policies and protocols are still necessary in some states for advanced practice nurses to function safely and competently in the health care arena. As a result of this realization, NPs must understand that standardized procedures are not only necessary in providing uniformity but also consistency in protecting consumers from harm by meeting the mandatory requirements to practice safely in their area of employment according to state and legislative regulations.