The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the rights of patients with disabilities, including within healthcare. From 2010 to 2016, the number of Americans with disabilities increased from 57 million to 61 million (Agaronnik et al., 2019, p. 545). Thus, there is a growing need to address the healthcare disparities of this population. In turn, this impacts the role of advanced practice nurse, which is often associated with providing care to a wide range of different patients, as well as with community work (Oyeleye, 2019). Advanced practice nurses should pay more attention to the needs of patients with disabilities in order to provide the most sensitive and appropriate care (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2018). It requires the development of relevant skills and knowledge about working with such patients and their families.
The main legal implications that are associated with the role of an advanced practice nurse, in particular a family nurse practitioner, are not only the ability to provide assistance to people with disabilities, but also the provision of necessary conditions under the ADA. For example, it is essential for a professional to know how to write a reasonable accommodation letter for a patient (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2018; Oyeleye, 2019). Without knowledge of the necessary legal tools, an advanced practice nurse can backfire on the hospital or the patient. Nurses need to understand the requirements of the ADA and be able to comply with them in a timely manner.
Understanding the regulations provided by the ADA can affect the quality of my professional work as a family nurse practitioner. In particular, as the number of people with disabilities grows, so does the likelihood of health disparities and inequalities. in order to provide the best possible care, as a nurse, I need to know all the civil rights of such patients and promote their fulfillment within the medical setting. Failure to achieve this can lead to adverse patient outcomes, as well as negative consequences for the healthcare organization.
References
Agaronnik, N. D., Pendo, E., Campbell, E. G., Ressalam, J., & Iezzoni, L. I. (2019). Knowledge of practicing physicians about their legal obligations when caring for patients with disability. Health Affairs, 38(4), 545-553. Web.
National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2018). The nursing regulatory environment in 2018: Issues and challenges. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 9(1), 52-67. Web.
Oyeleye, O. A. (2019). The nurse practitioner’s role in assisting clients with disabilities to receive reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 15, 474-478. Web.