Essay Instructions: Guidelines for APN Role Development Paper
This assignment requires individual analysis of a specific advanced nursing role and the context (milieu/setting- see examples) within which the role exists. The student is encouraged to be innovative while identifying an advanced practice role that has the potential to contribute to the health of a facility, community, college or university or patient population in Texas. The role can be one that is well established or the student believes needs to be established. However, students must stay within the realm of their selected degree program.
The body of the paper should consist of no more than 10 pages, not including the title page, abstract or reference list. It must be submitted using the ?Assignment Tool?. The paper will contribute 40% toward the total individual course grade. Students? grades will be based on meeting the criteria identified in the matrix below.
Writing Style
Ideas must be clearly written, organized using headings labeled as listed below to help the reader/ grader find all relevant information and supported by professional literature. If the information is not found, you will not meet the assignment criteria. Subheadings are acceptable but the major headings should be included. Information included in each section should relate to that topic and be written in a logical flow of paragraphs. Note that ten percent of the grade relates to writing style and appropriate use of APA guidelines.
*Refer to ?Rules of Professional Writing Including APA Guidelines? under the ?Information? link and the APA (6th ed.) manual for specific guidance.
Since this assignment is not an opinion paper, material for all sections must be supported by current primary sources of literature or professional, scholarly website information. For example, primary source information for certification requirements should come from the particular certification organization itself, usually their website. Do not use secondary sources referencing this information. For the APN roles regulated by the Texas BON, their website lists which credentialing agencies offer certifications that meet the requirements for that title and authorization to practice.
Role selection
Role topics and the context of the role, which are required to be aligned with their particular graduate nursing program, must be submitted by the due date and manner as listed on the Class Schedule. The faculty can then approve or provide further guidance for role selection if needed.
Include both the legal title allowed by TX BON (when applicable) with addition of a role descriptive title AND the setting in which the APN would be practicing.
? Must be specific (i.e. FNP- not NP or APN;
? Must address setting and any subspecialty, if applicable. Describe enough about the setting that faculty will be able to understand the potential role there. Examples include an ambulatory pediatric clinic in a private pediatric office, with a mostly private pay population, or a 200 bed acute care hospital with inpatient and full surgical services.
? FNP examples- FNP in primary rural care, FNP in primary care in urban community clinic, FNP with geriatric population in nursing homes, FNP specializing in wound care in a home health service, FNP specializing in infectious diseases in a specialists? outpatient setting, FNP in private pediatric urban group practice,
Required Paper Sections
* Remember to use discussion sources to help with developing section material.
1. Rationale for Role
? Explain reasons, based on professional sources, which support why the identified role is needed in the identified setting. This section may serve as an introduction, or you may have a separate introduction section.
2. Requirements and / or Options for Role in Texas
? Discuss in detail what is absolutely required and what is recommended for practice of this role using primary source information regarding education, experience, certifications, etc. Is certification required? If so, who certifies individuals for the chosen role? What is required to maintain certification? Does the Texas BON have to approve your application to practice in this role? If so, what is required to maintain this approval?
? Discuss any additional components which might be recommended in relation to setting or sub-specialization focus. Students may use other resources such as potential employer or current literature for information regarding education, experience, certification requirements or options for the role.. Note that employers, professional organizations, institutions and outside agencies such as accreditors may also have recommendations or recommended standards. Clearly distinguish between requirements and recommendations with appropriate credit given to the primary source. FNP students should consider prescriptive authority and privileges
3. Job Duties Consistent with Identified Scope of Practice
? Services and competencies provided, standards of practice for this role
? All services and competencies listed must be within the scope of practice as legally defined by the BON and / or and pertinent certification or professional organization(s). 4. Legal Implications
? Address relevant laws and legal implications.
? Discuss delegating authority and protocols if needed or appropriate such as found for the FNP or other BON regulated roles.
? Discuss any other regulatory agencies of which impact the role such as the Board of Medicine, Board of Pharmacy, Drug Enforcement Agency and others. Are there any other agencies which impact the selected role? What are they, and why should the nurse be aware of them?
? Identify the source(s) of scope of practice and briefly summarize what that scope is.
? Discuss impact of JCAHO or other credentialing agencies, if appropriate.
? Discuss the Rural Health Clinic Services Act, if appropriate and its implications to the role.
? Liability issues, to include any laws pertaining to confidentiality (such as HIPPA)
5. Key Collaborative Relationships
? Specify and discuss individuals and organizational relationships that are critical to or facilitate role success including peer, institutional, multidisciplinary and community partnerships. Who will you ?answer to?, be responsible to and for, need to ?get along with? and have the political support to succeed?
6. Potential Outcomes
? Address patient and organizational outcomes that reflect the direct and indirect impact and success of the role. For each measure, identify the potential data, source and method of data collection that could be used to demonstrate these results. An example for NL data and data collection processes would be to review human resource quarterly reports regarding staff turnover. FNP should use process or clinical outcomes measurements that are evidence based and feasible to collect.
? Must be clearly stated as outcomes, not services (i.e. decreased staff turnover, increased patient satisfaction rates, decreased hospital admission rates, productivity).
? Note that these outcome indicators can be used to ?sell? the establishment of a new role within a particular environment, justify the continuation of services or a position once it is established and demonstrate accountability for the provision of care and services.
7. Factors within the Environment that Support or Threaten the Role
? Identify revenue resources. Explain how your salary is supported (earned). How will services provided contribute to the bottom line with income and savings? How will the position or role be sustainable?
? Identify any competition of resources or challenges to sustain position such as other businesses, professionals and providers
? Are there any identifiable threats? How can these be mitigated?
? Detail the availability of current role/ positions. Is there a demand for the role or is there a need to create demand? Explore the number of openings versus need to establish, create or ?market? the new role or position.
8. Secondary Role Integration
? In addition to the discussion of your primary role, describe briefly (in a few sentences) how the secondary roles of advanced practice researcher, educator, leader and clinician would be manifest or integrated into your practice within this role.
9. Conclusion
? Provide a reasonable conclusion which is reflective of the previous sections and flows logically.
