Selecting the Certification Exam for your Specialty Essay.
Selecting the Certification Exam for your Specialty.
Instructions:
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is a non-profit organization comprised of members from each state board of nursing in the U.S., the District of Columbia, and the four U.S. territories. Their role is to provide a platform for all state boards of nursing to convene, discuss, and ensure all state boards work together to provide the appropriate regulation to ensure that public health, safety, and welfare is the primary focus. A key element of NP licensure is understanding the components of Scope of Practice and subsequent practice within the parameters of the educational program completed and appropriate national certification.
To prepare:
Consider whether primary care NP graduates are qualified to seek employment in acute care settings such as ER, OR, or hospitalist/intensivist
Review and select one of the following case studies to research in depth:
Case Study One: Selecting the Certification Exam for your specialty.
Mary is in the last two months of her program of study. She is trying to decide whether to take the American Association of Nurse Practitioner Credentialing Exam or the American Nurses Credentialing Exam.
***an explanation of the professional and/or clinical practice issues the new Nurse Practitioner will need to consider and address with the certification, licensure, credentialing, or relocation process. Compare Scope of Practice between the Acute Care, Family Practice, and Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and how practice may differ from state to state. Then, identify and explain at least two types of settings that are appropriate for FNP and AGPCNP graduates to practice.
Solution.
Selecting the Certification Exam for your Specialty
As nursing students approach the end of their academic studies, they must pursue national certification Certified Nursing Practitioner certification body. Certification signifies the Nursing Practitioners have successfully passed an assessment of professional and technical knowhow in their area of scholarly focus. Certification is also used by regulatory bodies as the basis in consideration whether a graduate of a licensed Nursing Practitioner academic program meets the standards for admission to practice nursing. A registered nurse, (RN), also referred to as licensed practical nurse (LPN) is individually licensed after satisfying particular requirements by passing a test that validates she/he has internalized the core competencies and insights required to practice medicine safely (Yoost & Crawford, n.d.).
Certification and registration are detached and distinct, as are the criteria that should be satisfied before a candidate sits for the test. Licensure is granted by the states, not the federal government. Top bypass the many hurdles this creates the Council of State Boards of Nursing and other measures put in place. CSBN has created a uniform syllabus in testing and related requirements. This arrangement enables nurses to be able to move around the country without much fuss. The State, however, retains the power to write laws governing the process. Georgia, for instance, is not a member of the accord. Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) have to have a license from the Georgia Board of Nursing. The licensing process comprises of a sanctioned syllabus to study, a national exam, as well as a background check (Sullivan, 2008).
Acute care is an important nursing discipline. Nurses in this line deal with patients for only a short time basis. The patient receives dedicated but short-term treatment for a life-threatening injury or bout of illness, or urgent medical affliction. Other typical duties may include treatment and care after surgery or for a chronic ailment. An acute care nurse should be a registered nurse (RN). Currently, there is high demand for RNs. Acute Care Nurses are also commonly deployed in Emergency Response (ER) Centers. The Family Practice nursing program supports family doctors to treat their patients. They work around the family setup family as a collaborative team.
A registered nurse enhances the quality of patient access, better the treatments process for the patient. The Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) dedicated program whose mission is to promote and sustain healthy living in the society and workplace, with particular focus on culturally complex and high-risk groups of the population. AGPCNPs assess and administer adult health as well as common acute and chronic illnesses. These HIV/AIDS and Cancer. AGPCNPs are trained to emphasize on prevention, wellness, and patient enlightenment to safeguard their health (Butao, 2008).
FNPs give a range of acute, chronic and preventive medical services. Apart from diagnosing and treating illness, FNPs also provide preventive care, including routine checkups, health-risk assessments, vaccination and tests, as well as personalized counseling on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
An AGNP works across a broad patient population, there are many varied areas of specialization for these kinds of nurses. They fall into broad categories. An Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) in acute care primarily focuses on treating illness. They will be found in hospitals and other rapid treatment dispensing facilities.
In contrast to an acute care nurse practitioner, an Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-PCNP) focuses his or her medical practice on primary care placing more emphasis toward ailment prevention and promoting healthy lifestyles. They may work as dieticians, in sports fraternities, in counselling or other relevant areas.
When choosing your specialty as a nurse practitioner one must consider current and future job trends. FNPs can generally treat a lot of people including children which sees them have a big competitive market in the job market (“USAJOBS – The Federal Government’s Official Jobs Site”, 2016). Even though many nurses dread dealing with children, being an FNP mean one has to treat children. AGNPs have limited options in the market for jobs as they cannot treat children who account for a significant number of the patient population. Becoming an FNP is better than an AGNP as it gives you more freedom the future career. An FNP degree allows you to upgrade into new practice area.
Works Cited
Yoost, B. & Crawford, L. (2015). Fundamentals of Nursing (pp. 55,86).
Butao, R. (2008). Practicing nursing in America. Quezon City, Philippines: Central Book Supply.
Sullivan, S. (2008). A NATIONAL NURSE. AJN, American Journal Of Nursing, 108(10), 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.naj.0000337716.95548.b3
USAJOBS – The Federal Government’s Official Jobs Site. (2016). Usajobs.gov. Retrieved 5 October 2016, from https://www.usajobs.gov/JobSearch/Search/GetResults?OrganizationID=VA&Series=0610&ApplicantEligibility=all&Title=Registered%20Nurse