Roles and Settings of a Family Nurse Practitioner

Roles and Settings of a Family Nurse Practitioner

The healthcare system is increasingly becoming complex as the availability of primary caregivers diminishes each year. Therefore, many patients in the United States seek family nurse practitioners (FNPs) to provide their healthcare needs (Naylor & Kurtzman, 2013). The clinical role of nurses is to manage chronic and acute illnesses by performing diagnostic tests and conducting physical procedures. In family practice, nurse practitioners can treat and diagnose patients throughout their lifetime.

Historically, family caregivers engage patients in their care. They assist the ailing individuals to understand the disease and the necessary measures they must take to improve their health. Year-on-year, the family caregiver’s role is becoming more dominant. Almost half of all professional nurses have switched their workplace to a family setting. With such a new role, the healthcare practitioners are more flexible because they accord care to a limited number of patients throughout their lifetime.

During the early 1960s, doctors carved out the role of a family nurse but it has evolved over time. Today, family nurses meet the sufferer’s healthcare needs, especially when primary care physicians are out of reach. As the prospects improve in specialty medicine, the roles of physician assistants and nurses develop too. In fact, the federal government registers all family nurses to legalize their profession. However, they have to complete an advanced specialized training successfully before receiving their practicing licenses. In exceptional cases, the national regulations allow family caregivers to provide services similar to those of physicians. They perform prenatal tests and adult care check-ups. In addition, the family nurses diagnose and manage minor traumas such as splinting and suturing. Besides prescribing medications, they teach disease prevention and health promotion to patients. However, their responsibilities change from one state to the other depending on the services in demand and the legal procedures. In most southern states, family nurses can prescribe controlled substances.

Family caregivers are independent professionals that strive to work autonomously without doctor’s supervision. Still, there is a heated debate on the controversial family nurse’s independent practice even as the aging baby boomers require additional healthcare services. Moreover, the new healthcare reform contributes to the rising demand for nursing skills. Nevertheless, the anticipated shortage of non-clinical medical practitioners and the heavy patient load shed light on how physician assistants and family nurse practitioners can provide primary care needs.

It is true that caregivers do not claim to replace specialist doctors but they can provide cost-effective high-quality care that most physicians cannot because of their tight time schedule. From their nursing background, caregivers employ a patient-centered approach for excellent outcomes. Notably, family nurse practitioners’ role is fundamental in healthcare provision either on a local or wider scale. Considering this, the federal regulatory environment changes gradually to give nurses a plenary authority. It means that they can collaborate as a team since there are no restrictive regulations. Moreover, it mandates the non-clinical family nurses to consult physicians (especially if the treatment procedure requires an advanced professional knowledge) for instance in minor surgical procedures.

Horrocks et al. (2013) argue that family nurse practitioners approach ailing persons with an adequate understanding of a family-centered and collaborative care. The healthcare worker views the patients as part of the family, hence treats them in a relative context. Further, physician assistants have consultative and referral relationships with other healthcare providers like psychologists and pharmacists. Bailey et al. (2014) admit that upholding an effective collaboration strategy promotes positive health outcomes, better communication, and proper healthcare management. During the advanced training programs, the instructors stress the importance of ethical healthcare practice and collaboration with clinical nurses for an improved service.

Family nurse practitioners are qualified to treat and diagnose complex health conditions because they have a graduate level education and specialized clinical training in family medicine. Their advanced level of education allows them to replace medical professionals in a hospital setting. For instance, they can serve as policy makers and clinical administrators.

According to Way et al. (2012), FNPs work in settings such as private homes, hospitals, clinics, or schools. Not only do they place emphasis on prevention and wellness but also treat serious medical conditions and mild ailments that affect children, their parents, and their grandparents. While passing NCLEX-RN medical exam is mandatory, the family nurse practitioners must work for years as a registered healthcare practitioner to gain the required experience. In the case of unethical practice or incompetence, the government revokes the license and initiates a legal process depending on the severity of the malpractice.

In summary, it is clear that family nurse practitioners specialize in diagnosis and treatment of patients from their childhood to their adulthood. Individuals drawn to this area of specialization are life-long learners that seek more independence and responsibility in their professional life. They derive their satisfaction from treating and evaluating sick people. In addition, FNPs’ attention is drawn to a family unit but can also work comfortably in government organizations, hospitals, community health organizations, and private practice. Most importantly, the nurses understand the need to maintain a high level of discipline given the sensitivity of their area of specialization.

References

Bailey, P., Jones, L., & Way, D. (2014). Family Physician/Nurse Practitioner: Stories of Collaboration. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 53(4), 381-391.

Horrocks, S., Anderson, E., & Salisbury, C. (2013). Systematic Review of Whether Nurse Practitioners working in Primary Care can Provide Equivalent Care to Doctors. Bmj, 324(7341), 819-823.

Naylor, M. D., & Kurtzman, E. T. (2013). The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Reinventing Primary Care. Health Affairs, 29(5), 893-899.

Way, D., Jones, L., Baskerville, B., & Busing, N. (2012). Primary Health Care Services Provided by Nurse Practitioners and Family Physicians in Shared Practice. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 165(9), 1210-1214.