Introduction
All nurse practitioners (NP) must possess the core competencies regardless of their medical specialization to perform their duties efficiently. Various institutions have developed a curriculum focused on particular competencies to guarantee that learners acquire the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to work as independent licensed practitioners efficiently. This paper discusses the nine competencies and how the program has prepared me to meet them.
Scientific Foundations
This competence guarantees that nurses have a solid foundation in medical sciences when they graduate. Knowledge and comprehension of clinical practice guidelines, translation research, evidence-based practice, and the care of diverse and vulnerable patient populations are all parts of the scientific core competencies (Thomas et al., 2017). The program has equipped me with skills in conducting more research using evidence-based techniques to develop solutions that are competent and acceptable across cultures and raise the standard of treatment.
Leadership
This competence emphasizes scholarship and professional advocacy in ensuring that aspiring NPs are aware of their areas of expertise and professional standards and how to lead various healthcare teams. Conversely, it might also require communication abilities and cultural variety. In order to enhance the community’s health statistics, the program has capacitated me to successfully put community health initiatives through my leadership qualities, besides allowing me to communicate effectively, make decisions, and solve problems.
Quality
This competence refers to how much the use of health services improves the targeted health outcomes per accepted standards and expertise in the field. The program has enabled me to deliver high-quality patient care and services with little harm and errors, as I can put my knowledge and abilities to use (Thomas et al., 2017). With these essential skills and abilities in the community, I can use these skills to enhance the standard of care and health outcomes.
Practice Inquiry
The emphasis here is more on translational research, which NPs must be able to employ to translate findings from the academic world to the clinical situation. The program has made it possible for me to ensure that I can comprehend how to use research to enhance the health of patients. To determine the most effective answer to improve care socially and emotionally at the grassroots, I am able to employ this in an additional field study to pinpoint numerous issues.
Technology and Information Literacy
This competence brings up to the application of digital tools for communication, access to networks, integration, management, evaluation, and effective communication throughout the provision of services (Thomas et al., 2017). The program has familiarized me with the utilization of accessible technology to improve the safety and health of patients. I am in a position to embrace social media to enlighten people about healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors that can be taken as preventative measures to enhance health status and outcomes.
Policy
These are health-related choices that impact how health resources are allocated at the organizational, municipal, state, national, and international levels. In order to help people combat such difficulties, nurses use this to affect policy to address health concerns and societal issues like literacy, poverty, and violence. The program has provided me with the necessary knowledge enabling its use as a tactic for advocating for patients’ rights to care.
Health Delivery System
This competence involves formulating, creating, and executing policies and initiatives pertaining to public and neighborhood health. To improve patient outcomes and provide culturally literate treatment, NPs employ this in reforming organizational decision-making (Thomas et al., 2017). The program has equipped me with the knowledge for conducting an assessment to find various gaps and provide appropriate healthcare to execute the health delivery mechanism by planning and implementing health initiatives at the community level.
Ethics
This competence includes comprehending the moral implications of scientific discoveries and learning how to resolve moral conflicts unique to that nurse-patient relationship. It aids NPs in decision-making, analyses the effects of all decisions, and comprehends the complex ethical issues involved in providing healthcare to persons. With the program, I am able to manage ethical challenges in community health besides offering care while adhering to the rules and delivering high-quality care.
Independent Practice
As a result, nurse practitioners are guaranteed to be able to practice as legally recognized autonomous nurses. This is in accordance with an established scientific base of knowledge that is able to deliver treatment and services without guidance or even supervision (Thomas et al., 2017). As a result of the program, I can comprehend patients’ requirements from a cultural perspective and provide competent and accepted care in their culture.
Plan as a Nurse Practitioner to Engage in Community Social Change
I plan to engage in social change in my community by enhancing the existing nurses’ roles to prevent diseases and promote health. Another aspect entails advocating for vulnerable or weak individuals in my community. Moreover, I plan to provide awareness and education to community members to improve their well-being and quality of life. For instance, I will teach them about balanced diets, healthy living, and the importance of counseling services.
Conclusion
A nurse practitioner’s scope of practice is constrained under the Florida Nurse Practice Act (FLANP). Nevertheless, FLANP supports nurses’ roles, such as eliminating the need for physician oversight licensure, along with NPs in all insurance plans and Medicaid HMOs, allowing them to sign death certificates and comply with the Baker Act, besides certifying DNR orders (Toney-Butler & Martin, 2019). The FLANP board, nurses, the general public, and Florida lawmakers are the major stakeholders in promoting such change. The majority of nurses, lawmakers, FLANP, and the general public will all be impacted by these reforms, which call for an update to the Florida Nurse Practice Act.
References
Thomas, A., Gnp, A. B., Crabtree, F., Apn-Bc, K., & Schaffer, S. (2017). Nurse practitioner core competencies content a delineation of suggested content specific to the NP core competencies 2017 NP core competencies content Workgroup. Web.
Toney-Butler, T. J., & Martin, R. L. (2019). Florida nursing laws and rules. Stat Pearls Publishing. Web.