ANSWER
Obstacles to Advanced Practice Nursing’s Development and Approaches for Removing Them
Advanced Professionals Approaching gaps in care delivery and enhancing access for underprivileged groups, registered nurses (APRNs) have grown to be a vital part of the healthcare workforce. Several ongoing obstacles have hampered the progress of advanced practice nursing even although their responsibilities and contributions are growing. These include limited reimbursement rules, legislation on restricted scope of practice, and opposition from other medical professionals. Overcoming these obstacles calls for calculated action in policy reform, education, and lobbying.
First barrier: laws restricting scope of practice
Among the biggest challenges to the development of advanced practice nursing are laws pertaining to restricted scope of practice (SOP). Often passed at the state level, these regulations restrict APRNs’ practice to the extent of their education and training. For basic services including prescription writing, condition diagnosis, or treatment plan initiation, APRNs in states with limited SOP rules must work with or under direction of a physician. This need causes inefficiencies in healthcare delivery and limits physician availability in underprivileged areas, therefore reducing access to care.
Techniques to Cross This Obstacle:
APRNs and nursing groups as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) should advocate for complete practice authority (FPA). This covers advocating for state laws eliminating needless limitations.
Public Education: By increasing public and legislative knowledge of the great degree of training and competency of APRNs, misunderstandings can be dispelled and FPA will gain support.
Cooperation with Stakeholders To show how FPA improves care quality and efficiency, teaming with physician groups, hospital managers, and patient advocacy organisations will help to lower resistance.
Second barrier: Restricted reimbursement rules
Although they offer the same services as doctors, APRNs often get less compensation in many healthcare environments. For identical operations or care delivery, Medicare, for instance, pays APRNs 85% of the amount paid to doctors. This discrepancy inhibits APRNs from seeking independent practice and compromises their contributions to the delivery of reasonably priced healthcare.
Techniques to Overcome This Obstacle:
Working with legislators, nursing organisations should promote reimbursement rules acknowledging APRNs as equal providers for comparable services.
Integrating Value-Based Payment Systems: Encouragement of models like Accountable service Organisations (ACOs), which concentrate results above provider type, will help to match financial incentives with service quality and lower reimbursement differences.
Working with private insurance companies, APRNs can negotiate improved payment rates depending on evidence of their cost-effective nature and high patient satisfaction levels.
Third barrier: opposition of other healthcare professionals
Citing worries about patient safety, training quality, and competition, several doctors and medical societies oppose the growth of APRN jobs. This opposition can produce a hierarchical dynamic in healthcare and cause delays in implementing laws endorsing APRNs’ autonomy.
Techniques to Beyond This Obstacle:
Encouragement of team-based care models will help to emphasise how complementary physician and APRN jobs are. Showing effective teamwork might help to lower resistance and foster confidence.
Early in their training, multidisciplinary education programmes for medical and nursing students can help to promote mutual understanding and respect.
Strong data on APRNs’ results—including patient happiness, cost savings, and therapeutic efficacy—can refute assertions that more responsibility compromises patient safety.
Finally,
Restricted SOP rules, unfair reimbursements, and opposition from other healthcare professionals have slowed down the evolution of advanced practice nursing. These restrictions hinder APRNs’ capacity to completely support access to care and help to reform healthcare. Dealing with these issues calls for a coordinated effort to support cooperative models of care, educate stakeholders, and seek legislative changes. Overcoming these obstacles allows APRNs to increase their influence on the delivery of healthcare, therefore guaranteeing high-quality, easily available treatment for all people.
Source Notes
Saunders, S. (2014). Advanced practice nursing: stressing the approach of the health continuum. Other Press: Elsevier
National Academy of Medicine 2021 Nursing 2020-2030: Plotting a road to reach health equity. Press National Academies Press. 10.17226/2598 @ https://doi.org/10.17226/25982
20211 American Association of Nurse Practitioners Environment of state practice. extracted from https://www.aanp.org
QUESTION
Describe three barriers that have slowed down the progress of advanced practice nursing and strategies to help overcome these barriers. (Saunders, 2014)
Submission Instructions:
- Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources.