Introduction
The advanced nursing role chosen for this project is that of a family nurse practitioner (FNP). These professionals occupy a crucial place in the sphere of healthcare since they take care of people across their lifespan (“Role and scope,” 2017). FNPs need to be graduate-educated and have a certificate to be able to perform their functions.
Clinical Roles of a Family Nurse Practitioner
FNPs have several clinical functions. They are responsible for the management of chronic illnesses. Also, they take care of women’s health, including giving recommendations on prenatal and preconception and care. Another clinical duty of an FNP is providing healthcare to children. FNPs may also treat some minor injuries (“Role and scope,” 2017). Providing care for acute diseases for patients of all ages is another role these specialists perform.
FNPs do not always act independently. Frequently, they cooperate with other professionals to provide their patients with the most comprehensive care approaches. Clinical responsibilities of FNPs may incorporate diagnosing diseases, ordering tests and interpreting them, performing examinations, prescribing drugs, and giving counseling (“Role and scope,” 2017). Thus, FNPs need to be proficient in a variety of fields to be able to perform their functions at the highest level.
Applying Advanced Nursing Practice to the Role
Advanced nursing practice concepts are very closely associated with the role of an FNP. Both advanced nurses (ANs) and FNPs deal with ordering and interpreting laboratory tests. FNPs may perform such functions of ANs as keeping patient records and conducting physical examinations. Finally, as well as ANs, FNPs may create therapeutic plans of care.
Questions I Would Ask the Family Nurse Practitioner
Stefanie Walden works as an FNP at Baptist Hospital of Miami. She has a certificate from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Also, she has completed a degree in registered nursing. Stefanie renewed her FNP certification three years ago, so her next renewal will be in two years.
The planned date for the interview is March 10. I am going to ask Stefanie the following questions:
- What did you find most difficult in the process of education?
- How responsible do you consider your role?
- Can you remember a situation when your professional skills helped to save somebody’s life?
- What qualities do you find essential for an FNP?
- Is it easy for you to combine your professional life with our personal life?
- How often do you stay after work because you feel that your patients need you?
- What is the most memorable event from your practice?
- What issues in the healthcare system do you consider necessary to eliminate to make the system more efficient?
- What things might be improved to make your job easier?
- What are your favorite effective ways of educating patients about their health?
- If you had a chance to go back and start the education all over again, would you choose another profession?
- Do you find your job rewarding? Why/Why not?
- What recommendations could you give to those who want to pursue a career as an FNP?
Discussing Research Articles
In her article, Beckham (2013) evaluated the scores achieved by FNP students on objective structured clinical evaluation. The design of the study was a retrospective and longitudinal analysis of anonymous databases containing the outcomes of students’ evaluations. The data for the evaluation covered five years. The sample consisted of 52 students that were expected to graduate from 2010 to 2011 (Beckham, 2013). A variety of settings was included in the analysis, such as family practice clinics, pediatric clinics, internal medicine and women’s health clinics, and emergency rooms.
The assessment was performed with the help of an experienced clinical nurse educator who used a standardized scoring sheet. The data were processed with SPSS, and the following results were obtained: the mean clinical grade for the first clinical course was 94.82, for the second – 96.18, and the third – 97.42 (Beckham, 2013). The study by Beckham (2013) signifies that to excel in an FNP course, students need to spend much time preparing and revising the material. This professional role involves a high level of responsibility and requires an appropriate degree of dedication on the part of those who decide to pursue a career in the sphere of an FNP practice.
An article by Poronsky (2013) investigates the principles of transitioning from a registered nurse to an FNP. The study design of this research is a review of the literature. Taking into consideration the design, there is no sample. However, the author extensively presents her findings in several spheres about the research question. Speaking of adults, Poronsky (2013) remarks that they may experience a variety of transition types such as health-related, situational, and developmental. The transition from an RN to an FNP may engender a loss of confidence in professional skills, anxiety, and conflicts (Poronsky, 2013). As the author mentions, RN-to-FNP transition may also cause a feeling of isolation and disconnection, causing much discomfort to those who expressed their desire to undergo such a process (Poronsky, 2013). Therefore, it may be concluded that the role of an FNP involves many responsibilities, and those who decide to take it should realize their duties and be ready to work hard to achieve professional success.
References
Beckham, N. (2013). Objective structured clinical evaluation effectiveness in clinical evaluation for family nurse practitioner students. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 9(10), e453-e459.
Poronsky, C. B. (2013). Exploring the transition from registered nurse to family nurse practitioner. Journal of Professional Nursing, 29(6), 350-358.
Role and scope of practice of a family nurse practitioner. (2017). Web.