Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC is one of the leading agencies in the prevention and control of disease in the United States. It was established in the middle twentieth century with the initial goal of controlling the global influence of several infectious diseases such as malaria and eventually expanded in scope and influence. Currently, it is a federal agency that is responsible for the research, prevention, and control of a wide variety of infectious diseases, food-borne pathogens. In addition, the scope of the regulatory authority of CDC includes the prevention of injuries, environmental health, occupational hazards, and health promotion. Several non-infectious health conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, also fall within the scope of the agency’s authority (CDC, n.d.).
The authority of the CDC is relevant to the DNP graduate for two primary reasons. First, it is useful as a primary source of information on infectious diseases, both in terms of the reliability of the information and the data on mortality, morbidity, and several other indicators that would be unattainable through other means. Second, the area of practice of DNP is more focused on the clinical setting and often necessitates involvement in the policymaking process. Without the nationwide data available through CDC, it would be impossible to evaluate the whole picture and evaluate the outcomes of the proposed strategies. Finally, the close involvement of NP in public health issues makes CDC a relevant source of information on non-infectious diseases and health conditions.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA is a federal agency established in its early iteration in the late nineteenth century as an attempt to impose unified governmental regulations on the food industry. Since then, the scope of the agency’s authority has expanded. Currently, it controls the state of public health by enforcing quality standards on a wide range of consumer products. In addition to foods, dietary supplements, and tobacco products, the regulations of the FDA cover the drug industry (both the over-the-counter and prescription segment), numerous items of medical inventory, veterinary items, animal foods, cosmetics, and electromagnetic radiation emitting devices. As a federal agency, the FDA is empowered to create and enforce various regulatory programs. In addition to the regulations on production and quality requirements, they codify the marketing and advertising principles and postmarket safety surveillance (FDA, 2015).
The DNP area of practice of close ties a graduate to the authority of the FDA. Most prominently, the approval of drugs by the FDA is an important criterion for its selection and administration. In addition to the prescription practices executed in the workplace, DNP will likely deal with communicating the necessity to comply with the standards to the individual patients as well as the community. The ability of the patients to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent medications and to detect misleading marketing claims is an important part of the state of public health. In this regard, the FDA remains a primary authority.
National Institute of Health (NIH)
NIH is a federal agency that is responsible for research in the areas of public health. Founded in the late nineteenth century, it remains the central government agency responsible for the quality of research in the industry. Currently, the agency consists of twenty-seven entities across the country. It has a long history of successful biomedical research and groundbreaking findings in the field of public health, including the influence of fluoride on oral hygiene, the use of lithium in the treatment of mental disorders, and the discovery and creation of several vaccines used today. The agency still conducts many studies internally, but the main bulk of research is done through the financing of the institutions that apply for grants (NIH, n.d.).
The area of the relevance of NIH to DNP graduates is fairly limited. The main point of intersection is the supply of relevant and trustworthy research produced by the agency and its affiliates. Modern nursing is grounded in evidence-based practice, so reliable and relevant clinical practices remain at the center of the decision-making process at the individual, administrative, and managerial levels. Therefore, NIHs activity is responsible for the generation of knowledge upon which the said decisions can be based. Besides, NIH constantly updates the research tools in order to ensure the reliability and precision of the data collected in the studies. These tools can be used by the DNP graduates who will choose research as their professional field. Finally, the familiarity with NIH grant application criteria can increase the chances of receiving funding for the said graduates.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
AHRQ is a federal agency that aims at improving the quality in the field of healthcare through control of effectiveness, appropriateness, and quality of the delivered services. In addition, improved access to care is stated as one of the agency’s goals. The means used by AHRQ to reach the identified goals include guidelines, increased transparency through the publication of reports and demonstrations, and evaluation of the quality of the delivered care. Finally, one of the agency’s divisions is responsible for ensuring appropriate distribution of knowledge and communication between independent entities in the field of healthcare (AHRQ, 2017).
It should be acknowledged that none of the aspects of AHRQ regulatory authority is unique to the organization and is present to some extent in the respective areas of authority of the agencies described above. Nevertheless, the AHRQ has an advantage that makes it relevant for the DNP graduate. Specifically, the agency is able to coordinate the efforts aimed at improving the quality of healthcare. For the DNP, it means that the guidelines offered by the agency will be consistent with the findings of the studies produced by its divisions and would work towards a clearly defined goal. Therefore, for the DNP who uses them, it would be easier to model the likely outcomes and choose from the appropriate set of evaluation techniques while conducting an assessment.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
ATSDR is a federal agency that seeks to improve public health by controlling and preventing exposure to hazardous and toxic substances. Thus, its scope of regulatory authority is much narrower than that of the agencies described above, allowing for a more in-depth specialization. The ATSDR works closely with CDC, shares many of its administrative responsibilities. In addition, the agency collaborates with numerous state and local agencies as well as individual communities and activist groups (ATSDR, 2013). The main area of ATSDR activity includes research on the health impacts of various hazardous substances and the distribution of information and recommendations based on the findings.
The ATSDR authority has limited relevance for the DNP graduates unless they choose to engage in research in administrative or research activity related to toxic substances. In this scenario, the information provided by the agency will be a useful foundation to base their work upon. However, since ATSDR is a non-regulatory agency, the application of such information has a strictly informative purpose and is therefore of secondary importance for the administrative and policymaking purposes.
References
AHRQ. (2017). About AHRQ.
ATSDR. (2013). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry program overview.
CDC. (n.d.). CDC at-a-glance.
FDA. (2015). Regulations and policies and procedures for postmarketing surveillance programs.
NIH. (n.d.). Turning discovery into health.