Introduction
The interviewee, Michelle Jones, FNP, works at Care Memphis Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, which is a healthcare institution offering care to patients of all ages. The professional makeup of the organization is quite diverse, which means that Ms. Jones works with a variety of specialists who are skilled in providing comprehensive and high-quality medical care for the citizens of Memphis. At Care Memphis Clinic, the staff includes certified Pas providing medical services in collaboration with licensed MDs. The institution offers telehealth and remote patient monitoring for conveniences, preventive care, and behavioral health services; besides, there is staff that speaks Spanish to cater to the Spanish-speaking patients. The interviewee has indicated that her colleagues are highly dedicated to continuously improving the quality of care that they provide, and they are highly engaged in educating themselves about the latest healthcare challenges and trends. Working in a diverse team of professionals means that every person will enhance care with their unique experience and expertise, thus making the process of care more comprehensive and goal-oriented.
Laws and Regulations in Georgia
In the state of Georgia, the Georgia Department of Public Health is authorized by law to enact regulations aimed at protecting public health. At the present time, there are thirty-three separate regulations chapters, each of which is dedicated to a specific subject, for example, immunization, midwifery, cancer state aid programs, or food service establishments (DPH, 2022). The healthcare laws applicable to the chosen scope of practice include the Georgia Medical Records Laws, DHP regulations regarding vital records, notification of disease, tuberculosis control, AIDS regulations, reports of induced termination of pregnancy, and others.
Laws and Regulations in Tennessee
In the state of Tennessee, the laws and regulations on public health are governed by the Tennessee Department of Health, specifically by the Tennessee State General Assembly. The entities have the force of law and may play a significant role in the regulation of the healthcare profession. The relevant statutes that are applicable to the profession include the TCA 53-1 (Division of Health-Related Boards), TCA 93-3 (Medicine and Surgery), and TCA 63-2 (Medical Records) (TN Department of Health, 2022). The purpose of the available laws and regulations in the states of Georgia and Tennessee is associated with providing concise and specific regulations that professionals can use to protect public health on both a long- and short-term basis.
Scope of Practice
The scope of practice in the states of Georgia and Tennessee that is applicable to Nurse Practitioners is differentiated into Practice Authority, Prescriptive Authority, and Nurse Practitioner as a Primary Care Provider (PCP) sections. Practice authority is defined as the ability of nurse practitioners to practice either with or without physical oversight. Both Georgia and Tennessee require physician relationships from NPs, which means that physicians will outline relevant procedures that NPs will implement. Prescriptive authority represents an NP’s authority to prescribe medication to patients that they serve. Similarly to practice authority, both Georgia and Tennessee require NPs to have a physician relationship for prescribing privileges. Finally, some states have explicit statements regarding whether NPs are recognized as primary care providers. In Georgia, the PCP role is not recognized in policy, while in Tennessee, the PCP role is recognized (NCSL, 2022). Therefore, the scope of practice for NPs is the same in Georgia and Tennessee in terms of practice and prescriptive authority, while it differs in terms of the role of NPs as primary care providers.
Organizations to Join
In Georgia, Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) can join the United Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (UAPRN), which is a non-profit organization that is focused on improving access to healthcare for Georgian citizens. FNPs can act as advocates for the population who experience issues accessing healthcare and participate in the promotion of practice and legislative issues. The organization promotes the message of healthcare professionals and the representatives of the public to collaborate and consolidate their advocacy efforts to secure full practice authority.
In Tennessee, an FNP has the opportunity to join the Tennessee Nurse Practitioner Association (TNPA), which is the state organization promoting and protecting the practice of over fifteen thousand ARPNs in the state. FNPs will benefit from participating in the organization because it offers multiple opportunities for networking as NPs tend to meet on a regular basis to discuss the latest issues and trends and set organizational goals. Since its inception, the association has continued working on increasing the role, visibility, and credibility of NPs within the healthcare community and with patients throughout the state.
FNP Competencies and Certifications
The current list of competencies and certifications required for FNPs to meet have been defined by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF). FNPs are expected to have scientific foundation competencies, such as being able to critically analyze evidence and data necessary for nursing practice improvement, integrating diverse scientific knowledge with the context of nursing science, and developing new practice approaches. Another core competency is quality, which entails using evidence to improve clinical practice on a continuous basis, evaluating the impact of organizational structure and policy decisions on healthcare quality, as well as applying peer review skills. FNPs are expected to have practice inquiries to ensure that they understand the available research materials and translate them into practice. FNPs are required to hold a Master’s, DNP, or post-graduate certificate from an FNP program accredited by the ANCC, NLN, CCNE, or ACEN. For example, the ANCC FNP board certification is given based on the competency examination that assesses the entry-level clinical knowledge and skills of FNPs.
The areas of competence of FNPs include health promotion, health protection, as well as prevention of disease and treatment. The NP-patient relationship is especially important because a family nurse is expected to fulfill the teaching and coaching functions to improve patients’ health literacy and understanding of the treatment prescribed to them. In addition, it is crucial for FNPs to show high levels of cultural competence because they tend to serve patients of diverse backgrounds and all ages and different perspectives and expectations of health care. The evaluation of care is among the areas of competence because FNPs are expected to evaluate the care plans’ effectiveness for families or individuals and implement changes as needed. FNPs can become reliable advocates who assist individuals or families in developing their systems of coping and adaptation. FNPs will make proper referrals of their patients to other healthcare professionals and community resources to enhance care delivery and health outcomes.
Conclusion
Overall, FNPs combine different competencies to offer comprehensive care, which makes nurses in this role more than mere providers of care but rather advocates, supporters, educators, and more.
References
DHP. (2022). Current DHP regulations. Web.
NCSL. (2022). Nurse practitioners: Nurse practitioner as a primary care provider. Web.
TN Department of Health. (2022). Board of medical examiners. Web.