Advanced Practice Roles
Advance practice nurses are highly educated professionals who have an opportunity to practice independently without a physician’s presence, as they have received required clinical training. Nevertheless, various nursing practitioners operate in the sphere of healthcare. Even though all of them are representatives of the same profession, their roles differ significantly.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) represent the most commonly known professionals in their field. They focus on practice in various areas, such as surgery or outpatient care. As well as nurse educators (NEs) are supposed to have a master’s degree in order to receive an opportunity to perform their duties. While the range of basic subjects is the same for all nurses and it includes anatomy and physiology, etc., unique advanced training is needed.
NPs should focus on diagnosis and treatment while NEs are more concerned with theory and education techniques. Nurse administrators (NAs) deal with staff management; they shape organizational operations, ensuring that they are safe and cost-efficient. Nurse informaticists (NIs) align healthcare IT, management, education, and practice. As a rule, they use electronic documentation systems for this purpose.
NPs’ duties are similar to physicians’ ones and include diagnosing and prescription medications. NEs are mainly focused on the necessity to prepare students to practice. NIs ensure that data, information, and knowledge are shared by all professionals. NAs control the actions of other nurses, ensuring that all business issues are considered.
Thus, it can be concluded that NPs are mainly involved in clinical practice and primary care while NEs are focused on teaching others how to perform these activities. NEs also conduct researchers using technologies that are controlled by NIs and transfer received knowledge to NPs. NAs are occupied with administrations and management, controlling others.
Health Policy
Many American children today face issues with their weight. A lot of them suffer from obesity, which affects their health condition adversely and leads to poor health outcomes. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2016) discusses policy, according to which “a wide range of strategies to make healthy foods and beverages available in schools and communities and have integrated physical activity into daily life” should be set in each state (para. 2). This point of view is supported by evidence provided by WHO (2017), as there are more than 40 million overweight and obese children in the world. CDC (2017) adds that their physical, social, and emotional health is negatively affected as a result. For example, many have asthma, diabetes, or depression, etc.
In order to improve the current situation, the government should make schools follow recommended nutrition standards. Affordable prices for healthy beverages and food should be set for children and parents to be able to buy them. Additional education associated with the discussed problem should be provided at schools, and parents should be encouraged to participate in a variety of school and community programs that focus on proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. In this way, all stakeholders will include the government, food and beverage retailers, medical staff, educators, parents, and children.
As a family nurse practitioner, I also have an opportunity to support this change. For instance, I can educate those families I am working with on the ways to avoid obesity. In addition to that, I can offer them available community resources that can be advantageous for this purpose. Finally, I can conduct my own research on the basis of my clients and write a letter to a legislator, urging the change in policy.
As a result, a possibility to minimalize childhood obesity rates will be received. The quality of healthcare will improve, as professionals will be encouraged to pay more attention to patient education. Examination procedures will also improve due to the necessity to identify risks for obesity.
References
CDC. (2017). Childhood obesity facts. Web.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2016). Declining childhood obesity rates. Web.
WHO. (2017). Facts and figures on childhood obesity. Web.