Discussion: Issues in Health Care

Professional nursing associations are critical to the formation, continuation, and termination of health care policy. In addition, interprofessional groups within practices examine implementation of policy and take into account the efficacy of policies and practices. Consider your collaboration with either a professional association or an interprofessional group in your practice. How can you be influential in advocating on behalf of a profession and in serving as an activist for policy? Discussion: Issues in Health Care

To prepare for this Discussion, review the following:

• Discussion Rubric, provided in the Course Information area
• This week’s Writing Resources and Program Success Tools (link to e-guide)
• This week’s readings in the Resources pertaining to various and changing health advocacy and health policy initiatives

• ORDER A PLAGIARISM – FREE PAPER NOW

Post a response to one of the following options:

Option 1: Consider an interprofessional group trying to solve a common care coordination problem in your practice.

• Who are the main individuals involved?
• Where are the gaps or barriers in collaboration with other health care professionals in your practice?
• What suggestions have been offered to improve the gaps or barriers?

Option 2: Consider the viewpoints of a local nursing association working on drafting health care policy legislation.

• What is the main issue being considered?
• How successful has the group been up to this point?
• What gaps and barriers exist?

Note Initial Post: A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use evidence from the readings and include in-text citations. Utilize essay-level writing practice and skills, including the use of transitional material and organizational frames. Avoid quotes; paraphrase to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A reference list is required. Use the most current evidence (usually less than or equal to 5 years old). Discussion: Issues in Health Care

Discussion Rubric: Required Content:  Identifies the main health care professionals involved in care coordination. Analyzes the gaps or barriers in collaboration with other health care professionals in your practice. Analyzes suggestions offered to improve the gap or barrier in interprofessional practice.

The Full Practice Authority (FPA) Issue in Health Care: The Role of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) in Shaping Legislation

The viewpoint of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is that certified nurse practitioners should be granted full practice authority or FPA by all states in the USA. This is an important healthcare policy the legislation of which has been contentious for a long time. However, the AANP has been consistent in advocating for FPA (AANP, 2019; Cheney, 2019). As the statement above indicates, the main issue being considered is full practice authority. It is the healthcare state legislative framework that allows nurse practitioners to practice autonomously without having to be supervised by a physician in a collaborative agreement for which they have to pay.

Generally, the AANP has been relatively successful up to now on this matter of advocating fir FPA. To date, about half of all the states in the US have embraced legislation favoring FPA (AANP, 2019; Cheney, 2019; Campaign for Action, 2018). This is however against a backdrop of resistance and opposition from mainly physician organizations and associations that do not want to lose the financial benefits they get from collaborative agreements with nurse practitioners. Discussion: Issues in Health Care

The fight for FPA has for a long time faced significant barriers and opposition from physician lobby groups and legislators alike. In Virginia, for instance, the Medical Society of Virginia wanted the law to remain restrictive eith the requirement for mandatory collaborative agreement between nurse practitioners and physicians (Stringer, 2019). Victory eas however achieved finally, with legislation changed to provide for FPA after about 1,000 hours of collaboration with a physician. As stated, the main barrier to FPA has all along been restrictive legislation. Others have been the lack of recognition for nurse practitioners as independent clinicians by not only physicians and hospitals, but also payers. This has led to inequalities in reimbursement rates between physicians and nurse practitioners, even if the service provided is the same (Duncan & Sheppard, 2015).

References

American Association of Nurse Practitioners [AANP] (2019). Issues at a glance: Full practice authority. Retrieved 26 October 2019 from https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/advocacy-resource/policy-briefs/issues-full-practice-brief

Campaign for Action (2018, Sept. 19). State progress in removing barriers to practice and care. Retrieved 26 October 2019 from https://campaignforaction.org/resource/state-progress-removing-barriers-practice-care/

Cheney, C. (2019, May 01). More states pushing for autonomy in scope-of-practice battle. Retrieved 26 October 2019 from https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/clinical-care/more-states-pushing-autonomy-scope-practice-battle

Duncan, C.G. & Sheppard, K.G. (2015). Barriers to nurse practitioner full practice authority (FPA): State of the science. International Journal of Nursing Student Scholarship, 2. https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/ijnss/article/view/56778

Stringer, H. (2019, July 24). Nurse practitioners gain ground on full practice authority. Retrieved 26 October 2019 from https://www.nurse.com/blog/2019/07/24/nurse-practitioners-gain-ground-full-practice-authority/

Discussion: Issues in Health Care