Introduction
The key trends that will inevitably affect the role of the family nurse practitioner and patient care are the transformation of the concept of family nursing, the granting of full practice powers, and the development of telemedicine.
Discussion
First, family nurses initially performed patronage functions, and their activities were aimed at society as a whole and not at individuals in particular. FNPs served the community by visiting the poor and offering care and health promotion education. However, the role of the FNP has changed when an individual approach to each patient has been adopted (DeNisco, 2021). Personalized medicine allows you to select the means of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment with high accuracy and individuality. The new model considers the patient’s physiological, hereditary and biochemical factors. It allows to meet the needs of each patient as efficiently as possible. The role of the FNPs continues to evolve, and more improvements are expected in the future.
Moreover, nowadays, more states are granting full-practice authority to FNPs due to the growing need for primary care providers. O’Reilly-Jacob et al. (2022) note that 27 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, currently have full authority for nurse practitioners. It allows FNPs to diagnose, prescribe and interpret tests, and initiate treatment, including prescribing medications. Empowering FHNs eliminates inequalities in health care, improves cost management, and builds a health workforce. Moreover, patients can receive the full range of services time-savingly.
Conclusion
The development of telehealth is an equally significant factor influencing the activities of the family nurse practitioner and the results of patient treatment. Advances in digital technologies have been increasingly used during the COVID-19 pandemic to contain the spread of the virus. This allowed patients to stay at home and interact with healthcare providers online. FNPs have been at the forefront of this innovative application in patient care. The positive effects of this trend have been greater access to health care for the population, including in rural areas and remote regions, as well as improved quality of chronic disease treatment. Craig Sorkin (2021) founds that telemedicine improved collaboration, productivity, and communication. Thus, the transformation of the concept of family nursing, the granting of full practice powers, and the development of telemedicine are the main trends influencing the role of FNPs, as well as patient outcomes.
References
Craig Sorkin, D. N. P. (2021). Field guide to telehealth and telemedicine for nurse practitioners and other healthcare providers. Springer Publishing Company.
DeNisco, S. M. (2021). Role development for the nurse practitioner. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
O’Reilly-Jacob, M., Perloff, J., Sherafat-Kazemzadeh, R., & Flanagan, J. (2022). Nurse practitioners’ perception of temporary full practice authority during a COVID-19 surge: A qualitative study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 126, 104141.