NR506NP Healthcare Policy and Leadership

Week 1 Discussion

Barriers to Practice

Purpose

Discuss barriers to practice as an APN in one’s state from both a state and national perspective.  Research methods to influence policy change from various forms of competition, state legislative and executive branches of government and interest groups.

Activity Learning Outcomes

Through this discussion, the student will demonstrate the ability to:

Discuss the history of policy development and policy making in nursing (CO1)

Examine different types of policy and their relationships to healthcare policy (CO1)

Explain current barriers to practice for advanced practice nurses (CO2)

Discuss health policy and methods of lifting barriers to practice (CO2)

 

Requirements:

Using the readings from this week as well as outside reliable resources to:

Identify and describe practice barriers for APNs in your state and discuss these barriers on a state and national level.

Identify forms of competition on the state and national level that interfere with APN’s ability to practice independently.

Identify the lawmakers at the state level (i.e., key members of the state’s legislative branch and executive branch of government)

Discuss interest groups that exist at the state and national levels that influence APN policy.

Discuss methods used to influence change in policy in forms of competition, state legislative and executive branches of government and interest groups.

 

MORE INFO 

Barriers to practice as an APN in one’s state

Introduction

I’ve been an APN for nearly 10 years. I love working with patients, but I’d also like to see more people on the team. So I’m writing this post to help my peers and future coworkers understand what’s going on in the political climate and how it impacts our ability to practice medicine in this country.

Saying that “we need more nurses” is a good start, but much further work needs to be done before we can get there. In this post we’ll cover some of the barriers that are preventing people from practicing as an APN in one’s state and why they’re so serious (and often prevent us from taking care of our patients).

How do you get a license?

To get your license, you must:

• Apply for the license.

• Meet the requirements of your state.

• Pass an exam that covers topics like medical terminology and pharmacology. The exam is given by an organization called Pharmacy Examining Board of California (PEBC), which has determined what topics should be covered on each exam and what questions may be asked during each section of the test by using guidelines set forth by the pharmacy licensing board in California. You will pay $300 for this exam plus any required materials such as study guides or other materials from other sources (such as books). If you don’t pass this first time around, there’s no guarantee that your second attempt will go any better than your first one did!

Requirements to get the license

To get your APN license, you will need to meet the following requirements:

• You must be 18 years old.

• You must graduate from an accredited school or program and complete the required courses within three years of graduation. This can be any accredited nursing program in the United States or Canada (not just one state). If you are interested in applying for residency programs after completing your bachelor’s degree, see our article on how to get into a medical school as an undergraduate student.

• Your curriculum must include at least 60 credits of nursing coursework (or its equivalent) focused on clinical experiences and patient care taking place within one year before passing the NCLEX exam; this includes both classroom instruction time as well as clinical rotations lasting at least 40 hours per week during which students shadow physicians who provide direct clinical care for patients in their offices/offices

How much education is needed?

The degree you earn will depend on how long it takes to get your degree and what type of program you choose. The following are some examples of APN degrees:

• BS – Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

• MSN – Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

• DNP – Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP)

The average cost for an APN program is $150-$200K per year, with tuition ranging from $20-$40K per year depending on where you go and what level of education is required for admission. Some schools offer scholarships or financial aid programs that help offset some costs associated with getting a bachelor’s degree.

Doctorate or Master’s degree

A doctorate or master’s degree is required to practice as an APN. However, you do not need a doctorate or master’s degree to practice as an APN if you have completed all your education requirements for licensure in your state.

A master’s degree can be helpful for career advancement, but it isn’t required for licensure in any state (except California).

Minimum requirements to be an RN first

• You must be 18 years old to apply for an RN license.

• Have a high school diploma or GED.

If you do not meet these requirements, there are other options available to you:

• Take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN™) test and pass it on your first attempt with a score of 80% or higher (you can retake this exam up until three times). If you don’t pass on your first attempt, there is still hope! A second attempt may be granted if the board sees that your performance was affected by factors beyond your control such as illness or injury during testing day (see below).

What classes are required?

The first step in becoming an APN is to take the National Board Examination. This exam is necessary for all states, although some offer reciprocity agreements that allow you to sit for it without taking your own state’s test.

After passing the NBDE, you will need at least 3 years of experience working as a nurse before applying for licensure. You can also apply directly with your state board and ask if they will accept self-taught graduates before completing their requirements (some do). Once you’ve been approved by both entities and received all necessary documentation, don’t forget about passing any additional exams required by each one!

The classes required vary from state to state; however, most require from 5-10 hours per week during the yearlong program while studying topics like critical thinking skills (elements of pharmacology), general nursing principles (clinical judgment), disease processes & management principles & practice guidelines etc…

How long are you in school for?

The length of time you will be in school and what programs/credits you need to complete your degree depends on your chosen area and program.

• For example, if you want to become an APN but do not have any college credits, then it will take at least four years (eight semesters) to graduate from an accredited nursing program. On the other hand, some specializations only require two years of study—and some even less! You should check with admissions offices at each school before committing yourself too much financially or emotionally.

Is it an online program or actual school?

If you want to get an APN degree, but don’t live in the state where the school is located, there are two main options: online programs and actual schools. The first option is cheaper and easier than the second one. However, it can be more challenging if you have any kind of health issues or mental illnesses (like depression). Online programs often require you to take tests at home or in another location as well as attend class on campus regularly, which can be difficult if you have other responsibilities like work or family obligations which prevent this kind of flexibility from working for everyone.

On top of these drawbacks there are some advantages that come with getting your degree through an online program:

• You don’t have to travel anywhere; all classes will happen online via video conferencing technology so there’s no need for expensive plane tickets!

• You’ll learn more about what being an APN means since many schools offer different curriculums depending on whether students live near them versus being remote learners who access their material remotely (this means less money spent moving around).

Do you need to complete residency or internship?

You will want to know if you need to complete residency or internship. Residency is a post-graduate period of training in a medical specialty, often lasting 3–5 years. This may be required for some states that accept APNs from out of state and do not have their own program.

Internship is a supervised, post-graduate period of training in a medical specialty after graduation from the University where one was trained as an undergraduate student; it does not necessarily have any direct relation with the profession itself (as opposed to being just part time work).