A Consensus Model is a document that was developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and the Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) Consensus Work Group. The key purpose of the Consensus Model is to foster the collaboration of APRN educators, regulatory bodies, and other professionals across the US. This paper focuses on examining the extent to which the state of Ohio meets the regulations of the Consensus Model.
The review of Ohio’s board of nursing website shows that the state clearly defines its Consensus Model. This document regulates the practice of individual practitioners in such dimensions as education, licensure, and certification to ensure that the professionalism of nurses meets the expected levels. Accreditation is another area that implies a formal review and assessment by an authorized agency (“Comparison of the APRN Consensus Model”, 2018). The national accreditation body is assigned the role of designing evaluation procedures and monitoring their implementation. As for competence, it is to be assessed by professional organizations rather than by regulating boards.
Considering that modern healthcare faces an increased level of care services and costs, the Consensus Model proposes a new role for APRNs. In particular, the document requires developing a unique set of competencies that is to be transparent, accountable, inclusive, evidence-based, national in scope, and consistent with regulatory principles (“Consensus Model for APRN regulation,” 2008). In its turn, the board of nursing should be responsible for licensing APRNs while focusing on their graduation, programs, and roles. The certification regulations are to be accredited by the corresponding body and assess core and specialty competencies, following the established certification standards.
Ohio’s total points for meeting the regulations of the Consensus Model are 20, which means that the state is congruent with 71 percent of uniformity requirements. The state has four points for each of the following areas: education, certification, roles, license, and APRN title (“APRN Consensus Model by state,” 2019). Written collaborative agreements are adopted for the independent practice and prescribing of Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), Certified Nurse Practitioners (CNPs), and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs). The practice of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) is supervised, which gives the state 0 points.
Acute care services compose the area that is questioned by Ohio’s board of nursing, which is reflected in the recent memorandum of the Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (OAAPN). The so-called ultimate authority of the Consensus Model implies that CNPs should accomplish national certification if they would work in acute care (“Memorandum,” 2018). In case the state decides not to follow the identified document, primary care provides, who were educated to provide acute care as well, would be able to practice.
This is regarded as possible if these nurses received graduate clinical training, which means that every employee’s clinical experience would be a subject of examination. In this case, the board of nursing is the key body that is to determine the relevance of CNPs’ competencies and professionalism. However, such a decision seems to significantly restrict the rights of hospitals to consider workforce planning and deployment.
Among a range of alternatives, one decision regarding the Consensus Model adoption can be noted as the most promising. The point of the OAAPN can be identified as to “maintain the current rules and course of APRN practice with no specialty certification requirements” (“Memorandum,” 2018). The value of this plan of action lies in the fact that it meets the needs of APRNs and also follows the Consensus Model requirements. Since Ohio’s APRNs effectively provide acute care without specialty regulation, it is suggested that such an over-regulation is not necessary.
References
APRN Consensus Model by state. (2019). Web.
Comparison of the APRN Consensus Model and the Ohio Nurse Practice Act and administrative rules. (2018). Web.
Consensus Model for APRN regulation: Licensure, accreditation, certification & education. (2008). Web.
Memorandum. (2018).