NRNP 6565: Synthesis in Advanced Nursing Practice Care of Patients in Primary Care Settings

NRNP 6565: Synthesis in Advanced Nursing Practice Care of Patients in Primary Care Settings

Week 1: Nurse Practitioner Professional Issues

During the 1940s and 1950s, Loretta Ford, the pioneer of nurse practitioners (NPs), served as a public health nurse in rural Colorado. At that time, a shortage of physicians for children and families was evident. In response, Loretta Ford and Dr. Henry K. Silver established the first pediatric nurse practitioner program at the University of Colorado Medical Center in 1965. Since then, nurse practitioners have been in high demand to meet the evolving healthcare needs of individuals, families, and communities. Nurse practitioners are well-prepared to prevent diseases, promote health, provide treatment, and support health maintenance. They are equipped to offer safe, high-quality, cost-effective, and accessible care in the field of nursing.

Upon completing your program, you will need to understand the certification and licensure requirements in your state to become a nurse practitioner. Each state has unique laws regarding nurse practitioner roles, which may significantly affect NP practice. You will also explore various nurse practitioner professional issues and assess your understanding through a Knowledge Check.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Summarize nurse practitioner certification and licensure processes
• Explain state-specific scope of practice for primary care nurse practitioners
• Explain state-specific restrictions or limitations for practice
• Explain nurse practitioner prescriptive authority and DEA registration processes
• Explain legislative and advocacy activities related to nurse practitioner practice
• Identify key concepts of professional issues related to nurse practitioner practice NRNP 6565: Synthesis in Advanced Nursing
• practice Care of Patients in Primary Care Settings

Learning Resources

Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)

Required Media (click to expand/reduce)
Discussion: Certification and Licensure

As you are nearing the end of your program, it is essential to start preparing for certification and licensure. You will need to pass a national AGPCNP certification exam to become certified, and then you can apply for licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) in your chosen state. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with practice agreements, scope of practice, and prescriptive authority in your state.

While there is a movement called the APRN Consensus Model that aims to standardize NP regulations nationally, requirements still vary from state to state. In some states, NPs can practice independently without physician supervision. States are categorized as allowing full practice, reduced practice, or restricted practice. Full practice states permit NPs to evaluate, order diagnostics, diagnose, and treat patients. They are licensed under the exclusive authority of the state nursing board. Many states may require prescriptive authority protocols in addition to collaborative agreements NRNP 6565: Synthesis in Advanced Nursing Practice Care of Patients in Primary Care Settings.

Another crucial aspect to consider is prescriptive authority. This authority is granted under state law by the appropriate board, which could be the medical board, state board of pharmacy, or nursing board for the relevant state licensure. The ability to prescribe controlled substances is granted at the federal level and verified through the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) by the appropriate state board. DEA registration is federal and comes with additional requirements and fees for the registration process.

Additionally, the legal landscape for NPs is constantly evolving as NPs’ status as healthcare providers improves on a national level. Legislative changes may occur annually, bi-annually, or during emergency legislative meetings at the state or federal level. These legislative sessions and subsequent changes can significantly affect your scope of practice as a nurse practitioner.

For this Discussion, you will examine professional issues in your state, including certification and licensure, scope of practice, independent practice, prescriptive authority, and legislative activities.

To prepare:

Review practice agreements in your state.
Identify whether your state requires physician collaboration or supervision for nurse practitioners and, if so, what those requirements are.
Research the following:
How to become certified and licensed in your state.
The certification application process in your state.
The primary nurse licensure office resource website in your state.
Your state’s definition of a nurse practitioner’s scope of practice.
The contents of your state’s practice agreement.
How to obtain a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) license in your state.
Your state’s description of a nurse practitioner’s controlled-substance prescriptive authority and the nurse practitioner drug schedules they are authorized to prescribe.
Legislative and advocacy activities involving nurse practitioner organizations in your state NRNP 6565: Synthesis in Advanced Nursing Practice Care of Patients in Primary Care Settings

By Day 3

Post a summary of your findings about your state, addressing the questions listed above. Explain the regulations in place and the obstacles that may affect nurse practitioner independent practice in your state, providing specific details. Additionally, describe any surprising discoveries you made during your research.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.
By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, using one or more of the following approaches:

Share insights gained from reviewing your colleagues’ posts.
Offer additional perspectives or suggestions.
Discuss insights after comparing state processes, roles, and limitations.
Propose ways to advocate for the nursing profession.
Share resources that might benefit those in your state.

Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link, and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!

Submission and Grading Information
Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 1 Discussion Rubric

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 6

To Participate in this Discussion:

Week 1 Discussion NRNP 6565: Synthesis in Advanced Nursing Practice Care of Patients in Primary Care Settings.

Knowledge Check: Professional Issues

This Knowledge Check consists of 10 short-answer and true/false questions that focus on the following content areas

:

Scope of Practice
Professional Role
Certification and Licensure
Ethics

To Prepare:

Review this week’s Learning Resources.

By Day 7

Complete the Knowledge Check.
Submission Information
Submit Your Knowledge Check by Day 7

To submit your Knowledge Check:

Week 1 Knowledge Check

What’s Coming Up in Week 2?

In Week 2, you will continue your exploration of professional issues related to advanced nursing practice and complete a Knowledge Check on these topics. You will also take a practice exam in your certification review textbook. Because this is a pre-assessment used to gauge your current knowledge, there is no need to worry about preparing for this test NRNP 6565: Synthesis in Advanced Nursing Practice Care of Patients in Primary Care Settings.

Practicum – Upcoming Deadline

In the Nurse Practitioner programs of study (FNP, AGACNP, AGPCNP, and PMHNP) you are required to take several practicum courses. If you plan on taking a practicum course within the next two terms, you will need to submit your application via Meditrek .

For information on the practicum application process and deadlines, please visit the Field Experience: College of Nursing: Application Process – Graduate web page.

Please take the time to review the Appropriate Preceptors and Field Sites for your courses.

Please take the time to review the practicum manuals, FAQs, Webinars and any required forms on the Field Experience: College of Nursing: Student Resources and Manuals web page.

Field Experience: College of Nursing Quick Answers
Field Experience: MSN Nurse Practitioner Practicum Manual
Student Practicum Resources: NP Student Orientation

To go to the next week:

Week 2

Week 2: Nurse Practitioner Professional Practices

As healthcare providers, we strive to deliver optimal, safe care. Ongoing healthcare research, evidenced-based care, and effective guidelines for practice offer a stabilizing force. Our duty, as healthcare providers, is to “do no harm.” As providers, primary care nurse practitioners provide preventive and primary care, which entails complex management. Understanding legal terminology is essential to the role. Terms such as “standard of care,” “malpractice,” and “negligence” are inevitable and essential components for understanding the legal challenges advanced practice nurses will experience during their careers NRNP 6565: Synthesis in Advanced Nursing Practice Care of Patients in Primary Care Settings.

Developing a Comprehensive Care Plan

Another essential professional element in clinical practice is reimbursement. All NPs must give due diligence and ensure all services provided are accurately coded and billed appropriately. Avoiding fraudulent billing is a key element to your success as an NP. As providers, we are ultimately responsible for billing that occurs with our assigned Medicare, Medicaid, and other third-party reimbursement entities’ assigned numbers.

This week, you will explore nurse practitioner professional practices and complete a Knowledge Check on those topics. You will also take a practice exam, which will help you assess your current knowledge level in the content areas that will be assessed on the certification exam.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Evaluate mastery of nurse practitioner knowledge in preparation for the nurse practitioner national certification examination
Identify key concepts of professional issues related to coding/billing, malpractice, and negligence NRNP 6565: Synthesis in Advanced Nursing Practice Care of Patients in Primary Care Settings

Learning Resources

Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)
Assignment: Practice Exam Questions

Chapter 31 of your Nurse Practitioner Certification Intensive Review text contains practice exam questions that will help you prepare to take the national certification.

To Prepare:

You do not need to study or prepare for this test. It is being used as a diagnostic pre-assessment to gauge your current knowledge.
Set aside time to complete 100 of these questions.

By Day 7

Complete the practice questions and afterward, score your results using the answer key in the text.
Save your score for next week, when you will create a certification exam study plan based on your results.
Note: Your grade for the Week 3 Assignment will not be derived from your test results but from your self-reflection and study plan NRNP 6565: Synthesis in Advanced Nursing Practice Care of Patients in Primary Care Settings.

Knowledge Check: Professional Practices

This knowledge check consists of 10 short-answer and true/false questions that focus on the following content areas:

Coding/Billing
Malpractice/Negligence

To Prepare:

Review this week’s Learning Resources.

By Day 7

Complete the Knowledge Check.
Submission Information
Submit Your Knowledge Check by Day 7

To submit your Knowledge Check:

Week 2 Knowledge Check

Looking Ahead to the Week 10 Assignment: Nurse Practitioner Career Planner

For this Assignment, you will create a professional Career Planner that includes a cover letter, resume, philosophy statement, and letters of recommendation that you may use as you pursue your next professional role.

It is recommended that you review the Career Planner guide in this week’s resources and work on your planner throughout the term. See the Week 10 Assignment area for complete instructions NRNP 6565: Synthesis in Advanced Nursing Practice Care of Patients in Primary Care Settings.

What’s Coming Up in Module 2?

In Module 2, you will begin a systematic review of disease processes in the body systems. Through complex case analysis and comprehensive review, you will have the opportunity to synthesize and deepen your knowledge.
Comprehensive Practice Questions

Beginning in Module 2, you will practice taking multiple-choice questions designed to help you prepare for your certification exam. Each set of Comprehensive Practice Questions consists of 30 questions. Unlike the Knowledge Checks, which focus only on the topics of the week, these comprehensive questions may be pulled from any area of knowledge that might appear on the certification exam.

To go to the next module:

Module 2