Currently, quality healthcare is almost a universal right. Although the United States is a developed country, it still experiences challenges in the provision of quality healthcare. In fact, many people criticize the United States for its inability to provide universal healthcare like other developed countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany. The failure is mostly attributed to the claim that the United States is a liberal country, and therefore, people need to be allowed to choose what is best for them. Consequently, healthcare has been left in the control of private entities, a situation that makes healthcare in the United States very costly. Nevertheless, the greatest challenge in the United States is the freedom given to the distinct states to dictate their own healthcare standards. For example, before the introduction of the consensus model for advanced practice nurses, it was difficult for nurses to transfer their skills to states in which they are not educated or trained (Graham, 2011). However, the introduction of the consensus model for advanced practice nurses helped create uniformity in advanced nursing practice, as well as enhanced mobility of nursing skills from one state to another.
Impact of Barriers
Before the standards for advanced nursing practice were unified, there were several barriers that hindered the delivery of quality healthcare. Firstly, all the states had their own requirements for practice. It was almost impractical for advanced nurses to work in multiple states. This immobility had various consequences. The first was that skills could not be transferred. When nurses collaborate, they are likely to share different work experiences, which consequently improve the quality of care (Rounds, Zych, & Mallary, 2013). In the absence of such collaboration, each state is likely to provide care using conventional methods. The nursing field is an area that is constantly evolving, and for significant improvements to be witnessed there needs to be sharing of knowledge especially in research. Secondly, lack of regulation of advanced nursing is likely to increase the cost of healthcare. In programs that involve funding from the federal government, the lack of unification means that the different states receive varying amounts of funds on the programs. Some states will have larger budgets compared to others. On the same note, states hire their own officials to take care of the programs, instead of the whole work being coordinated by the federal government. In relation to access and delivery of healthcare, the barriers make it difficult for states that have a shortage of advanced practice nurses to recruit from other states. In this light, members of the public suffer for lack of adequate healthcare providers.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Implementation and Impact on APRN Roles
The implementation of APRN Consensus Model in Florida is a positive step in enhancing quality healthcare access, as well as mobility of skills. Firstly, the move will foster interaction among practitioners from different states, which will likely improve the nursing practice in Florida. Nurses from other states have unique experiences, which, through sharing will have a positive impact on nurses in Florida. Secondly, the implementation also means that barriers are removed and nurses from Florida can also practice in other states (Hoyt, & Proehl, 2011). The uniform certification is a breakthrough in enhancing work freedom. All APRNs have impressive academic qualifications, and many of them had always wanted to work, and conduct research in various states, only to be tied down by the separate requirements. Therefore, the implementation of APRN Consensus Model in Florida and in many other states has helped liberalize the nursing practice.
Status of Implementation in Florida
In regard to Florida, the APRN Consensus Model has already been implemented. After the implementation, the title shifted from Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) (Forbes, 2018). All the four roles of an ARNP are recognized in Florida, which include; prescription, diagnosis, medication, and performance of additional acts within their specialty. For an ARNP to be registered, he or she must have a Masters’ degree in a nursing clinical specialty area. The term ‘licensure’ is predominantly used for APRN roles in Florida. Working in Florida as an APRN is not a tedious process. One does not have to acquire national certification; rather certifications by the state of Florida or by approved multistate entities are enough for one to start practicing. Besides, once one is certified, he or she can practice and prescribe independently.
Legislation in Florida
Legislation concerning the regulation and unification of APRN roles and elimination of barriers in Florida began in 2018. The legislation sought to first change the title of “advanced registered nurse practitioner” to “advanced practice registered nurse”. This move was to make the practice uniform with other states. The second amendment was to create a licensure structure instead of a certification process for the renamed advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) (The Florida Senate, 2018). That meant that APRNs would be licensed by approved bodies instead of being certified by the various states. The legislation did not fail because it would improve delivery and access to quality healthcare in addition to reducing health care costs.
Summary
In summary, the implementation of the Consensus Model for APRN Practice had been long overdue. The different certification requirements by the various states hindered transferability of skills and public access to quality health care. Notably, if one state had a shortage of APRNs, it would be difficult to hire from other states because of the varying certification standards. However, after the implementation of the consensus model, APRNs can work in different states, and quality healthcare can be achieved because of interaction among APRNs from diverse backgrounds, and in case of a shortage, APRNs can be hired from other states. Therefore, the consensus model is a relief to both APRNs and the public.
References
Forbes, T. (2018). Breaking News! Legislature Passed Both Bills Moving Toward a Consensus Model for Advanced Practice Nurses in Florida! Enpnetwork. https://tbapnc.enpnetwork.com/nurse-practitioner-news/170151-breaking-news-legislature-passed-both-bills-moving-toward-a-consensus-model-for-advanced-practice-nurses-in-florida-
Graham, M. C. (2011). Building a national consensus for APRN regulation. The Nurse Practitioner , 36 (5), 8.
Hoyt, K. S., & Proehl, J. A. (2011). Advanced Practice Registered Nursing Consensus model: where are we now?. Advanced emergency nursing journal , 33 (2), 107-108.
Rounds, L. R., Zych, J. J., & Mallary, L. L. (2013). The consensus model for regulation of APRNs: Implications for nurse practitioners. Journal of the American academy of nurse practitioners , 25 (4), 180-185.
The Florida Senate. (2018). Bill Analysis and Fiscal Impact Statement. https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/1594/Analyses/2018s01594.pre.hp.PDF
