Prescriptive Practice Safety and Quality Assignment
Background
In the recent years, policy reforms in the APN’sboard proceeds across the country. Sixteen states have tabled new laws and changed existing laws influencing APN’s legitimate power to practice. One state has instituted positive corrections influencing the repayment of APN’s, and other three states have ordered alterations to current law, which will decidedly influence their prescriptive power. Connecticut passed a bill commissioning APNs to ask for, sign for, gain, and apportion physician recommended pill tests. New Jersey’s state lawmaking body passed a bill that was marked into law giving APNs power to launch regulated substance prescription/orders (as per joint conventions) in all circumstances, with no confinements.
Introduction
Advanced practice nursing is a broad division in the health sector that deals with direct care and management of patients, health policy development and implementation. In the state of New Jersey, APNsare certified health practitioners, under a statutory-mandated joint convention with medical doctors, obliged to perform diagnosis of diseases, patient management and the prescription of recommended medicines. On the other hand,medicinal services, health training, and sickness counteractive action are given by health experts of different foundations. The cooperation of both APNs and Physicians result to efficiency and improved care within the sector. Leadership training and expansion of clinical education of APN’s in the state of New Jersey, is a symbol oftrust and progress in the health sector. Every year, APN’s excitedly foresee the progressed work on nursing. Their input is significant and the state of New Jersey is currently working industriously to change laws permitting them to practice at their full potential.
Collaboration, oversight, and authority to prescribe controlled danger
In New Jersey, a joint convention is a state-authorized agreement that provides the necessary tools and gadgets for an APN member in a particularwork-related setting. This agreement provision must have the consent of both the APN member and medical practitioner. It must be audited, redesigned and co-marked every twelvemonth. However, the terms of agreement, are subject to scrutiny and evaluation from the New Jersey state Board of Nursing regulations.
Recently in New Jersey State, a new bill was introduced in the legislature to allow advanced practice nurses prescribe medication without the constraining condition of a joint protocol with a consulting physician. This bill recognizes the significance of the advanced practice nurses and their vital role in the health care system. Their role is also expected to grow with the introduction of federal Affordable Care Act.
The entry of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will encourage insurance cover as it will reduce the cost of health cover. Uncovered state citizens will be incentivized into health insurance cover, raising their numbers. The Act will “push avoidance, wellness, and general society health” (Legislative Counsel, 2010). With the projected increase in demand of health care services, the need for authorized APN’s practices is wanting. The Association of American Medical Colleges assesses a deficiency of 46,000 essential forethought doctors by the year 2025 (Rouston, 2010).
Medical attendant practitioners can effectively venture with full-practice rights to help cover up the deficit gap. There is as of now 150,000 attendant professionals in the United States, and 5,500 specialists graduate consistently (Rouston, 2010). State lawmaking bodies, on the other hand, control Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRN), and 16 statesat present have allowed for APRN prescriptive rights. For APRNs to completely watch over patients at the essential consideration level, state lawmaking bodies must uproot prescriptive limitations all around the United States.
Implication
The necessity to measure quality is a profound concern to patients and qualified doctors. Primary care physicians have expressed their concerns over the quality of patient care if APN’s are left to work independently without collaborating doctors. They claim that the quality of Medicare is likely to be soiled if the two groups don’t work in a joint venture.
On one hand, this could be seen as a cynical argument by the physicians who reap maximum benefits working in such a monopoly-like environment. If such prescriptive limitations are lifted, APN’s is likely to charge much affordable fees for their services as opposed to the physicians. On the contrary, there is need to additional primary health providers, the rising demand for health services by patients is likely to be met by additional health providers. This is an implication that the patient need for care is likely to be met. This allows more patients to have access to health care and also removes barriers for other clinicians who participate in treating the general public.
An increased number of licensed health practitioners guarantees the safety of clients. Often, the limited number of health practitioners put them in a strenuous position. Having a limited timeframe with a whole list of patients to deal with is likely to result in work-related accidents, such as wrong dosage administration or a miscalculated prescription. Haste in treating as many patients as possible creates an unsafe area of practice. If the APN’s are permitted to perform similar functions as the physicians, the number of patients to doctor ratio will reduce, creating an ample environment for accurate dealing with clients. Safety in this context is guaranteed not from the skills applied but from other work related factors such as a peaceful environment for effective control over the subjects.
Advanced practice nurses are highly trained. They are graduates trained to diagnose and treat chronic diseases. Part of their training involves interpreting lab tastes and X-rays, immunization, physical examinations and counselling among other courses. With such skills, it is highly unfair to question the quality of their services. Their training covers the essential aspects of study, analysis and evaluation of the human body; very priceless skills in determining the quality of patient care. Not only is the quality of the care taken into consideration but also the client’s safety. Such knowledge is highly valuable in right prescription that would not turn out to be hazardous to the patient.
Regulating body of APN practice in jersey
The New Jersey State Board of Nursing is the sole state regulating body of APN practice in New Jersey. It participates in policy making, building the capabilities and confirmation necessities for APNs (NP, CNM, CRNA, and CNS). The body regulates the nursing curricula and professional practices. Any medical attendant who wishes to practice as a medical practitioner or clinical medical attendant expert, has to be permitted or authorized by the body.For instance, a member of the APN in New Jersey has prescriptive power and is obliged to have a joint convention with a medical practitioner who is authorized in New Jersey, before endorsing any pharmaceutical or therapeutic gadget.
References
David M. et al. (2004). Health Policy Report: Medical Malpractice, 350 NEW ENG. J. MED. 283, 284.
Legislative Counsel. (2010, May 1). Compilation of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Retrieved February 13, 2014 from http://www.healthcare.gov/law/full/
Rouston, J. (2010, November 2). The Future of Primary Care: Nurse-managed Health Centers. HealtheCarreers.com. Retrieved February 13, 2014 from http://www.healthecareers.com/article/the future-of-primary-care-nurse-managed-health-centers/158450
