Introduction
Regarding the important changes in the Nurse Practice Act of the Florida state, it possible to mention that the most recent event is the change in the advanced practice licensure. The post with this news was published on the Florida Board of Nursing website on October 4, 2018. It is possible to state that the Nurse Practice Act of the state of Florida is subject to continuous improvement due to the complexity of nursing law regulation. The latest addition to the Act is an important contribution to the overall facilitating of the nursing practice in the state.
Main body
The changes in the Nurse Practice Act under consideration are effective as of October 1, 2018 (“Advanced practice licensure change,” 2018). According to Chapter 2018-106, Laws of Florida, the currently existing advanced practice licensure is changed in the three primary aspects. First of all, and most importantly, the Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) certification transitions to the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) (“Advanced practice licensure change,” 2018). Secondly, the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) license is also converted to the APRN license. Thirdly, the renewed legislation confirms that the valid licenses issued before the complete technical transition that will be on October 22, 2018, will be automatically converted to new APRN licenses.
Accordingly, it is essential to notice that even though these changes in the Nurse Practice Act do not introduce anything completely new, they are an important contribution to the improvement of the nursing practice in Florida state. Primarily, the licensing process becomes unified, which allows the Board of Nursing to be in better control of the nursing practice in the state. Secondly, it is ensured by the legislation that each nursing professional is in compliance with the highest standards of care.
Discussion of a Nursing Leader
In the context of the improvement of the nursing practice in the state of Florida, it is highly important to mention that nursing leaders play a crucial role in the processes related to the improvement of the public health sector. According to the website, the Florida Board of Nursing elected its officers for the 2018 calendar year, among which Jody Newman was re-elected as the Board Chair (“Board of Nursing officers elected for 2018,” 2017). It could be stated with certainty that her position in the community of the Florida state is highly significant due to the immensely positive impact of her work on the improvement of public health in Florida.
Conclusion
In order to support the formulated claim with the evidence, it is possible to reference the “Long‐range policy planning” document that was issued in 2015 by the Florida Board of Nursing, in which Jody Newman was the Board Chair at the time. This document comprises the development of the overall agenda for planning and implementing actions aimed at the legislative and regulatory aspects of the work of the Board of Nursing (“Long‐range policy planning,” 2015).
In general, this document served as the proposal for the implementation of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) certification standards and other related subjects. Thus, it is apparent that Jody Newman is a highly important policy-maker and nursing leader of the Florida state. In conclusion, it could be observed that her re-election would benefit the state’s continuous improvement of the public health sector.
References
Advanced practice licensure change. (2018). Web.
Board of Nursing officers elected for 2018. (2017). Web.
Long‐range policy planning. (2015). Web.