APRN Practice in Georgia and Maryland
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APRN Practice in Georgia and Maryland
Introduction
Advanced registered nursing practitioners need to understand how state laws and regulations operate and impact their work. The paper seeks to identify the differences between Georgia and Maryland regarding the practice authority and nurses’ scope of practice. The future of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses is also discussed in the paper.
Definition of Nursing Practitioner
The definition of nursing practice is the same for both Georgia and Maryland. APRN entails the course of a registered nurse who is licensed by the board. The professional could also be a holder of a multistate license in practicing nursing. APRN should be a degree or master’s degree holder from an approved nursing education program and national board certification in a specific area of specialty.
Practice Authority of Georgia and Maryland
Nursing practitioners play several roles in patient care outcomes. While carrying out their functions, the Nursing Practitioners must consult a physician if needed to be (Aymami and Furlong 2019). The nurse practitioner in Maryland, a full practice authority, can freely assess, diagnose, and treat patients free of supervision. Doctors are not required to sign the NPs chart or be on site for the NPs to provide care in hospitals. Another role the np can practice is to prescribe Schedule II-V substances without the supervision of a doctor. In Georgia State (restricted practice authority), nursing practitioners work under delegating physicians’ management. Other than Schedule II control substances, NPs in Georgia can prescribe drugs without an MD signature. Nurses are also entitled to sign handicap parking permits; however, they cannot sign death certificates.
Scope of APRN Practice
The practice authority of advanced registered nursing practitioners varies from one state to another. Nursing Practitioners can be accorded a full practice authority, local authority, or collaborative authority. NPs have the skills and training to provide safe, cost-effective, and quality healthcare to patients (Aymami and Furlong 2019). The state of Georgia is one of the most restrictive regions for APRNs in the country. The state of my residence is known to be the last state in the USA to grant NP their prescriptive privileges. The Georgia Composite Medical Board regulates the restrictive authority for NPs. According to the board, the NPs must have a protocol agreement with a physician to prescribe a particular medication type. NPs in Georgia are also restricted because they are limited to order specific diagnostic tests like CTs, and they cannot prescribe Schedule II controlled substances.
Maryland, on the other hand, has a full practice authority. The state abolished the restrictive practice authority in 2010. In the same year, NPs were regulated by the State of Maryland Board of Nursing (BON) instead of the initial Board of Physicians. The state canceled the attestation and requirement for new applicants who have never been certified to name a mentor during their certification application as a nurse practitioner.
Licensure Requirements
All states license registered nurses, every state in the USA they have the title of a registered nurse. In Georgia, a registered nursing practitioner and Licensed Practical Nurses are written by the Georgia Board of Nursing (Aymami and Furlong 2019). Before the license is issued, the board approves the course of study, the national exam, and a background check. Nurses association in the state are not involved with the licensing process; however, they provide additional resources for nurses and nursing students. Just like in Georgia, in Maryland, a nurse practitioner must complete a board-approved nurse practitioner program and pass a Board-approved examination. Among the list of the approved program includes programs found all around the country.
Prescriptive Authority and Requirement to Attain DEA Number
The requirement to obtain DEA Number is the same for Georgia and Maryland. Every NP in all the states of the country who administers or dispenses any controlled substance must be registered with the federal (DEA) Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA includes a series of numbers and letters which identify the specific health provider. Before obtaining a DEA number, the NP from all states must be licensed in the condition they practice.
Education Requirement
APRN in Georgia must be a holder of a master’s degree or higher. Specific academic requirements are delineated in the state administrative code. For instance, a clinical nurse specialist should have at least two nursing courses that include clinical practice. The professionals should have coursework in advanced physiology and advanced physical assessment. Psychiatric nurses should have two or more psychiatric nursing courses that include clinical training. In Maryland, one needs to gain a master’s degree level of education or above. The Maryland Board of Nursing must recognize the educational program and be accredited by an agency well known to the US Department of Education. One must also earn a national certification in one of the four categories; Nursing Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, and Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Certification Requirement
The certification determines certification type depending on the different kinds of program choice, such as nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists. The nurse practitioner must earn national certification through an approved certifying agency (Aymami and Furlong 2019). All APRNs in Maryland need to prove 1000 hours of active practice within five years. The hours of training include supervision, administration, or teaching.
Future of APRN
In Maryland, the legislation, certified nurse practitioners have the full authority to practice. The Nurse Practitioner Full Practice Authority Act of 2015 SB 723/ HB 999. The entire practice legislation abolished the initial law that directed doctors to oversee registered practice nursing while administering to patients. The legislation also repealed the verification of new applicants applying for certification to name a mentor on their application for a nursing practitioner certificate. The mentor was supposed to be a physician with three or more years of clinical practice experience and be available for consultation, collaboration, and advice.
Full Practice Authority
According to Holmes and Kinsey-Weathers, APRNs are highly skilled and capable of providing several services. However, they are prevented from doing their work because of state laws, federal policies, outdated insurance models, and institutional practices and culture (Holmes and Kinsey-Weathers 2016). The article recommends that policies need to be revised to smooth the work of nursing practitioners. The research encourages policymakers and legislatures to be guided by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Model Practice Act and Administrative Rules to change the limiting laws. In 2012 the center for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued directives to broaden the medical staff concept and allow hospitals to practice in the following State laws. Hospitals should allow other practitioners apart from doctors to perform all functions within their scope of the specialty.
APRN Practice in Georgia and Maryland
Conclusion
Restrictive laws are exhausting to nursing practitioners and should be reviewed. Legislatures should ensure that nurses are allowed to practice nursing freely since they have the necessary skills and knowledge to improve patient outcomes. Nurses, doctors, and other medical practitioners should find common ground to devise solutions that work for all professions and patients.
Reference
Aymami, V. B., & Furlong, D. M. (2019). Full Practice Authority for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. AAACN Viewpoint, 41(4), 17-18.
Holmes, O., & Kinsey-Weathers, S. (2016). The case for full practice authority. Nursing2019, 46(3), 51-54.
Woodley, L. (2017). An Analysis of the Process of Nurse Practitioners Moving to Full Practice Authority and Developmental Summary of Practice Implications to Assist Others in the Future.
Question
The purpose of this assignment is to examine the practice authority and scope of practice differences among APRNs in the United States. You are asked to review the Nurse Practice Act from my state of Georgia (restricted authority state) and Maryland (a full authority state) Review the websites below (AANP, NCSBN) to identify the scope of practice of APRNs in the United States. Also, you may review your state board of nursing website to identify specific practice authority guidelines for APRNs. The expected length of the paper is approximately 3-4 pages, which does not include the cover page and reference pages. Lastly, review the Assignment rubric to ensure you have met the assignment criteria.
APRN Practice in Georgia and Maryland