Advanced Practice Nurses and the Fight for Expanded Roles The diversity of nursing practice proves that Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) have the capacity to promote broad access of health care at all levels. However, that same diversity in practice is the reason for the obstacles they are facing in obtaining their expanded role in today’s practice. With the challenges surrounding access to care, Advance Practice Nurses could be the answer to pressing matters involving cost, efficiency and availability of healthcare in the United States. For this reason, it is important for the government at the state, local and federal levels to allow flexibility in the restrictions surrounding APNs’ scope of practice and implement strategies for change that
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4). Reimbursement process is associated with scope of practice. As the scope of practice differ from state to state, finding a uniform standard of payment becomes difficult. Society is tied to the notion that physicians are the only ones able to provide health services. Thus, majority is stuck in the “cure” mentality versus “care” mentality. APNs are undervalued primary care providers who can provide the “cure” to many diseases and at the same time provide the “care” needed through health promotion and maintenance. As a result, some states require supervising physician’s co-signature duplicating orders for services resulting in double payment for the care provided. This leads to a higher cost of care provided in an already expensive health care system (Safriet, 2011, p. …show more content…
The underutilization of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) mean that there is shortage in the workforce in primary care providers, which creates a domino effect that ends in decreased access to care. The government is on continued search for answers on how to increase access to care in cost-effective ways. However, as these regulatory restrictions persist, more and more trained NPs are realizing that they are at a disadvantaged and seek alternatives to other states. Nurse practitioners move to less restrictive states or enroll in APRN programs with less restrictive scope of practice (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, 2013, p. 7). This movement across state lines affect access to care as the number of specialty consultation decrease as each of these valuable assets in healthcare system find better opportunities in other
4). Reimbursement process is associated with scope of practice. As the scope of practice differ from state to state, finding a uniform standard of payment becomes difficult. Society is tied to the notion that physicians are the only ones able to provide health services. Thus, majority is stuck in the “cure” mentality versus “care” mentality. APNs are undervalued primary care providers who can provide the “cure” to many diseases and at the same time provide the “care” needed through health promotion and maintenance. As a result, some states require supervising physician’s co-signature duplicating orders for services resulting in double payment for the care provided. This leads to a higher cost of care provided in an already expensive health care system (Safriet, 2011, p. …show more content…
The underutilization of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) mean that there is shortage in the workforce in primary care providers, which creates a domino effect that ends in decreased access to care. The government is on continued search for answers on how to increase access to care in cost-effective ways. However, as these regulatory restrictions persist, more and more trained NPs are realizing that they are at a disadvantaged and seek alternatives to other states. Nurse practitioners move to less restrictive states or enroll in APRN programs with less restrictive scope of practice (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, 2013, p. 7). This movement across state lines affect access to care as the number of specialty consultation decrease as each of these valuable assets in healthcare system find better opportunities in other