There are several population focused roles authorized by the Nurse Practice Act. In Florida, the Nurse Practice Act considers the following roles: certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse practitioners, psychiatric nurses, and certified registered nurse anesthetists (Nurse Practice Act, 2018). An advanced practice registered nurse may prescribe and administer medications, order diagnostic tests, and initiate therapy.
A certified nurse practitioner may order physical or occupational therapy and establish challenges associated with individual’s behavior (Nurse Practice Act, 2018). A certified registered nurse anesthetist may, among other functions, determine the appropriate type of anesthesia, and support life functions during anesthesia health care. A certified nurse midwife may perform minor surgical procedures, assist a patient during labor and delivery, and manage the medical and initial care of a newborn (Nurse Practice Act, 2018). A clinical care specialist can assess individuals’ health status, and coordinate the process of care. Finally, a psychiatric nurse may prescribe psychotic controlled medications (Nurse Practice Act, 2018).
There are several barriers to practice for each of the roles. In Florida, advanced practice nurses encounter various obstacles to practice; for example, they cannot order physical therapy (Hain & Fleck, 2014). Kung and Lugo (2015) report that other limitations for advanced practice registered nurses include the inability to refer patients to physical therapy and to sign involuntary certificates of examinations and death certificates. Moreover, none of the mentioned types of nurses can perform complex surgical procedures. It is evident that advanced practice nurses cannot perform the duties of those specializing in midwifery or anesthesiology.
References
Hain, D., & Fleck, L. (2014). Barriers to nurse practitioner practice that impact healthcare redesign. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 19.
Kung, Y. M., & Lugo, N. R. (2015). Political advocacy and practice barriers: A survey of Florida APRNs. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 27(3), 145-151.
Nurse Practice Act, Flor. Stat.§§ 464.001-464.027 (2018).