NUR 512 Module 4 Discussion Practices in Other States

Sample Answer

Patients visit healthcare facilities to seek medical care, support, and guidance for varying health conditions. Typically, the timeliness and quality of care depend on the availability of nurses and how different states authorize them to practice. In the United States, the advanced practice nurse can operate under full practice authority, limited practice, or restricted practice.

These levels determine the scope of practice, which represents the professional activities that a nurse is authorized to perform (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2023). Comparing Florida with another state helps elucidate how nurses perform in different states and the impact on patient care.

California is a restricted practice authority state. In such areas, the State practice and licensure laws restrict the nurse’s capacity to engage in at least one practice element (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2023). The implication is that the nurse’s ability to assess patients, order tests, prescribe medications, and other professional activities is highly restricted.

Under restricted practice, State laws also prompt nurses to work under a physician supervision for all of their practice scope (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2023). Although there might be some autonomy when carrying out some functions, nurses cannot act as independent practitioners.

As Androus (2023) explained, the California Board of Registered Nursing outlines the guidelines that specify the scope of supervision needed for nurses to perform standardized procedure functions. Although physician collaboration is essential, the organization where nurses work specifies how they are supervised.

The situation is different in Florida, which has made significant strides as far as independent practice is concerned. Beginning July 2020 through HB 607, advanced practice nurses were allowed to apply for an unrestricted license after completing 3,000 hours of work under an MD’s or DO’s supervision (Clark, 2023).

This law paved the way to full practice authority in Florida. Under full practice authority, the State practice and licensure laws allow advanced practice nurses to perform all activities independently. In this case, nurse practitioners can assess patients, diagnose, order tests, and initiate treatments (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2023).

The exclusive authority also allows nurses to prescribe medications and controlled substances while practicing to the full extent of their education and training.

The difference in the scope of practice has profound implications on patient outcomes and other critical aspects of healthcare delivery. According to Jividen (2023), full practice authority is associated with increased access to care and better healthcare efficiency. As a result, it can help States respond to the increased demand for primary care providers, particularly in rural and underserved areas (Zwilling et al., 2021).

Doing away with restrictions further empowers nurse practitioners to deliver comprehensive healthcare services and reduce delays (American Association of Nurse Practitioners; Jividen, 2023). Therefore, better outcomes for patients, families, and healthcare providers can achieved through increased independence.

The push for full practice authority to empower advanced practice nurses to perform as independent practitioners continues in various states. Besides increasing their availability and improving healthcare efficiency, independent practice can help reduce healthcare costs by preventing the duplication of roles and unnecessary patient care delays.

High patient satisfaction is also achieved through timely care and availability of nurses who can provide comprehensive, patient-centered care. Advanced practice nurses are adequately trained to meet these objectives, which underlines the importance of more empowerment to make independent decisions.

References

• American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2023). Issues at a glance Full practice authority. https //www.aanp.org/advocacy/advocacy-resource/policy-briefs/issues-full-practice-brief
• American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2023). State practice environment. https //www.aanp.org/advocacy/state/state-practice-environment#california
  Links to an external site.
• Androus, A. B. (2023). For NP’s in “restricted” states, how do physician chart reviews and sign-offs work? Registered Nursing.org. https //www.registerednursing.org/articles/np-restricted-states-how-physician-chart-reviews-sign-offs-work/# ~ text=The difference between reduced and,state’s board of registered nursing.
• Clark, E. M. (2023). Nurse practitioner practice authority a state-by-state guide. NurseJournal. https //nursejournal.org/nurse-practitioner/np-practice-authority-by-state/# ~ text=Currently Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming are full practice
• Jividen, S. (2023). Full practice authority for nurse practitioners by state. nurse.org. https //nurse.org/education/np-full-practice-authority/
  Links to an external site.
• Zwilling, J., Fiandt, K., & Ahmed, R. (2021). Comparison of rural and urban utilization of nurse practitioners in states with full practice authority. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(4), 386-393. https //doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.12.033