Week 6 Discussion (NR506NP Full Course Assignments)

Scope of Practice and Patient’s Healthcare Accessibility

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to identify the scope of practice in one’s state including level of independence of practice, prescribing authority, any limitations of practice, process for obtaining licensure in your state, certification and education requirements for licensure.  Next, students will discuss how the level of independence of practice in their state, i.e., reduced, restricted or full practice, affects patient’s access to care in their local community.

Activity Learning Outcomes

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

Understand NP practice as defined by law (CO2)

Determine legislation as defined by legislation, statutes and regulations (CO2)

Identify barriers to ensuring patient’s rights (CO3)

Requirements:

Discuss your state NP community in terms of scope of practice. Include the your state’s scope of practice for NPs including:

Level of independence of practice

Prescribing authority

Any limitations of practice

Process for obtaining licensure in your state

Certification and education requirements for licensure.

If you live in a restricted or reduced practice state, how has patient care been impacted in your local community from these barriers?  For instance, is the ED used for primary care?  Are the EDs overcrowded with long wait times?  Are there urgent care clinics readily available? Is there adequate access to primary care?  If you live in a full practice, how has independent practice of the APN resulted in improved patient access to healthcare?

How does access to NPs impacts any healthcare disparities?

 

MORE INFO 

Scope of Practice and Patient’s Healthcare Accessibility

Introduction

The scope of practice is a set of laws that determine the specific activities and duties doctors can perform. These laws are based on the role that doctor plays in patients’ healthcare access, as well as their licensure and credentialing by state boards.

Scope of practice and healthcare accessibility

Scope of practice laws are set by individual states, and they determine what types of services a healthcare professional can provide. They also help ensure that patients have access to the care they need.

Scope of practice, licensure, and credentialing

Scope of practice is the range of activities that a health professional is legally permitted to perform. It can be thought of as the “doable” part of healthcare, and it’s different from licensure and credentialing.

Licensure means that someone has been granted permission by their state government (or equivalent) to practice medicine, dentistry, nursing or other professions in that field. Licensing does not necessarily mean that one must be licensed; it simply means they have met certain requirements such as passing exams or taking continuing education classes.

Credentialing refers to the process through which individuals become eligible for employment within specific fields within healthcare: physicians must be licensed; nurses must be licensed; pharmacists must pass an exam on basic pharmacy knowledge before they can work at pharmacies; physical therapists need licensure or certification from an agency such as ASHP (American Society for Healthcare Metrics & Performance).

The Five Components of Scope of Practice

The scope of a practitioner’s practice is determined by state laws and regulations, professional standards of practice, and the patient’s condition. It can also include the types of services provided (e.g., physical therapy, speech therapy) and who provides them (e.g., physical therapist or speech therapist).

The five components of scope are:

• Competence – The ability to provide safe care while following established procedures, skills and knowledge

• Authority – Being able to make decisions on behalf of patients based on your own education and training experience; this includes access to resources such as equipment or facilities required for treatment plan completion within an acceptable timeframe

The Pros and Cons of Relaxing the Scope of Practice Laws

The pros and cons of relaxing the scope of practice laws are:

• Pros: Patients can see doctors if they have an illness, injury or condition.

• Cons: Doctors may be limited in their ability to diagnose or treat patients as they would like because they do not have all the knowledge required.

The way this issue is mitigated is by ensuring that all medical professionals are trained properly so that they can provide appropriate care for their patients when needed. For example, if there is a family physician who knows nothing about pediatric medicine but has been trained in adult medicine, then he/she may not be able to make good decisions about treatment options for children (i.e., vaccinations). This could lead to serious complications down the road such as brain damage due to chickenpox infection from vaccination!

Why Scope of Practice Is Important?

Scope of practice is the range of services that a professional or a healthcare provider is allowed to perform. It can be broken down into two categories:

• The scope of practice for physicians includes traditional medical care and procedures such as surgery, anesthesia, and diagnostics.

• The scope of practice for nurses includes patient education and counseling; administration/monitoring medication; administering medications by injection; providing routine nursing care under supervision or guidance by licensed physician assistants (LPNs); assisting with devising nursing plans for patients who can’t communicate effectively about their needs via speech or writing (these may include mental health issues).

Are There Any Drawbacks to This Policy?

There are some potential risks to this policy.

• Over-prescribing: If a patient needs more medication than the doctor prescribes, there may be an opportunity for over-prescription. This can lead to excess use or misuse of medications and side effects that may not be necessary or desired. However, it is important to note that these issues are rarely seen in practice because doctors are aware of these issues and work diligently to prevent them from happening at all levels (i.e., education).

• Under-prescribing: If a patient doesn’t receive enough medication (or any), then they may feel worse than they need because they weren’t given enough treatment options by their physician; however, this should also be rare since most physicians want their patients’ well-being above all else! Again though – this is just one possible scenario where there could potentially be problems if you were unfamiliar with how things work behind closed doors between friends/colleagues etc…

Conclusion

The scope of practice is a set of rules that define what a healthcare provider can and cannot do. This can help patients feel more comfortable when they are in the hands of their provider, but it also creates barriers to care. The purpose of this document is to explain how scope-of-practice laws restrict patient care, which results in restrictions on access for many people with disabilities. To learn more about how these laws affect patients and how you can advocate for their repeal, read our other resources:

• Scope-of-Practice Laws: What They Do And Don’t Do For People With Disabilities – A short article explaining some common misconceptions about scope-of-practice laws (and why they’re important).

• Why I’m Unhappy With My Doctor’s Advice About My Kidney Stones – An essay about one person’s experience with kidney stones and what she thinks should have been done differently after consulting her doctor about treatment options.

Conclusion

This policy is an example of how to regulate healthcare, and it’s a good idea. It will help ensure that all people have access to the care they need and deserve. However, there are some drawbacks as well: first of all, most states don’t have a law requiring doctors to treat patients in their own homes if possible; secondly, people who have disabilities or chronic conditions might find themselves excluded from receiving the treatment they need because their condition prevents them from traveling far enough for adequate care; lastly, many states do not allow people with certain disorders (such as autism) access beyond what is standard practice elsewhere around the country—which means that even if someone lives close enough to home or work they may still be unable