Read the essay below and answer the following questions.
Do you agree with your classmates discussion of role of the FNP in primary care of the patients across the lifespan?
Do you agree with their discussion of the role of the FNP and the application of the Population-focused Nurse Practitioner Competencies- Family/Across the Lifespan. Why, why not, other thoughts?
All work must be posted in current APA format.
FNP Role in Primary Care Across the Lifespan
The role of the Family Nurse Practitioner [FNP] has been progressively evolving for decades. In particular, this field has made great strides in becoming a service that is being sought out as a first-choice, rather than a last resort. I believe that this is largely due to a FNPs bend towards holistic, patient-centered care. In fact, through my article review it became apparent that this is not limited to a handful of clinical practices, but is growing like wildfire across the nation. I found many articles pointing towards improved patient outcomes when care was provided through a patient-centered medical home [PCMH], which provides comprehensive patient care, through the use of multiple providers, administered through one clinic at affordable rates. A PCMH originally began with a physician serving as the head entity. However, the National Committee for Quality Assurance [NCQA], an organization that plays an integral role in PCMH promotion, recently changed the clinic head title to primary care clinicians in order to make room for Advanced Practice Nurse-lead medical homes. Policy makers recognized that nurse-led medical homes lowered hospital and emergency department admissions and increased access to primary health care services thereby reducing overall health costs (Scudder, 2011).
Furthermore, our passion towards collaboration is fostered through our training as a nurse, as we are required to work with many providers in delivering coordinated, comprehensive patient care. A FNP is a perfect blend of medical and nursing care, which directly impacts how the patient perceives their illness. Not only do FNPs provide solutions for disease processes, but also encompass the entirety of the patients needs, all the way from spiritual health down to patient comfort. This can begin at birth and continue throughout the lifespan.
There has also been a shift in clinical focus, moving from reactionary medical care, to health promotion and disease prevention. Due to the nature of a FNPs education and clinical training, I believe that they are more equipped to deliver patient-centered care that focuses on the whole person, not just a particular disease process. As a practicing Advanced Practice Nurse [APN] , I have been conditioned to see factors outside of the current physiological condition. The type of environment we live in, along with our emotional, social and spiritual condition directly affects our health and well-being. Access to resources, transportation, financial health, cultural influences, and dietary habits all play a part in health promotion & disease prevention. This lens affords us the ability to recognize unique patient needs, both simple and complex, which renders an experience that is truly individualized to each patient.
APN Role Based on Population-focused Competencies Across the Lifespan
APNs play a critical role in providing high quality primary care, which is being recognized more and more, not only in our patients, but also in the medical community as a whole. With rising health care costs, an uptick in the number of chronic conditions, along with a recent global pandemic, APNs are now more crucial to our community than ever before. Not only are we forging the way to provide health care at affordable rates, we are not compromising the quality of the care that is provided. It did not surprise me to learn that 60-percent of actively practicing Family and Adult Nurse Practitioners accept charitable and/or uncompensated patient cases in their practices (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2013).
One of our crucial roles as an APN is to focus our efforts on initiatives that sustain affordable health care for all. One of the ways we can do this is through tackling medical care though a people-centered lens, which not only incorporates the patient and providers, but the community members as well. We can aim to improve health care literacy, focus on disease prevention, along with wellness promotion. The increasing number of non-communicable diseases constitutes a social need, as cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, quickly followed by cancer and respiratory disease. These diseases often call for lifelong health care services and debilitating health care expenditures (Kamei et al.,2017). It is vital to promote health and wellness to all ages, in order to curb these national killers. This is not only key for our patients health, but for the well being of our communities and our health care system.
References
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2013). Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care. AANPs Positions and Papers. https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/advocacy-resource/position-statements/nurse-practitioners-in-primary-care
Kamei, Tomoko, Takahashi, Keiko, Omori, Junko, Arimori, Naoko, Hishinuma, Michiko, Asahara, Kiyomi, Shimpuku, Yoko, Ohashi, Kumiko, & Tashiro, Junko. (2017). Toward Advanced Nursing Practice along with People-Centered Care Partnership Model for Sustainable Universal Health Coverage and Universal Access to Health. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, 25, e2839. Epub January 30, 2017. https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1590/1518-8345.1657.2839
Scudder, L. (2011). Nurse-Led Medical Homes, Current Status and Future Plans. Medscape. Obtained electronically January 21, 2021: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/743197
File DF+Prompt1.docx (36.424 KB)
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