The Competencies That Nurse Practitioners Have

Subject: Nursing
Pages: 2
Words: 586
Reading time:
3 min
Study level: Master

The first step is to educate the patient about the competencies and skills that Nurse Practitioners (NPs) have. It is important to articulate to the patient that NPs are competent in a comprehensive health assessment, in prescribing the medication needed, and in designing therapeutic interventions (Dunphy et al., 2019). It is also important to provide information that NPs, as advanced medical care providers, have developed skills in clinical judgment, and evidence-based care and are also involved in the support and development of other nurses in the nursing practice (Dunphy et al., 2019). Thus, it is imperative to educate the patient that NPs are competent to assess health as well as to carry out the necessary interventions at a comprehensive level. It is also important that these professionals focus on building a therapeutic relationship with a patient to achieve the best patient outcomes.

The Circle of Caring is a model that helps NPs make effective decisions to meet the health needs of patients. The main outcomes of this model are a decrease in mortality, morbidity, and the number of rehospitalizations (Dunphy et al., 2019). Within this model, NPs focus on achieving the best possible patient outcomes to prevent complications and reduce the likelihood of appointments with healthcare professionals. The ultimate goal of NP’s practice is to address the widest range of patient health issues and achieve the best therapeutic outcome. It is also important that, within the framework of this model, efforts are also aimed at increasing the functional status and generally improving the quality of life (Dunphy et al., 2019). This clause allows NPs to focus on patient needs and to design interventions and support in line with treatment goals.

The team-based care model involves the collaboration of both the patient and a variety of healthcare professionals to achieve the best patient outcomes. This model assumes the use of a collaborative effort to create patient-centered care and addresses the patient’s health concerns. In this case, the patient can experience greater activation in the therapeutic process, which also allows better identification of goals and achievement of outcomes. Will et al. (2019) define patient activation as “a component of patient engagement, is defined as the patient’s ability to understand their care and have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate their care” (p. 169). In a team-based model, the patient and the healthcare professional forge a therapeutic relationship that allows them to join forces to solve a specific problem. NP informs the patient about all aspects of the therapeutic process, as well as investigates the needs of the patient.

Uncertainty is increasing due to the high degree of autonomy of NPs as well as their wide range of competencies. To increase the uncertainty of the health care provider, the patient in the scenario may provide incomplete information about his health history, as well as about the practices of managing the existing conditions. Moreover, concerning a new health-related issue, the patient may provide inaccurate or confusing information about the existing symptoms, which will lead to a complication in the diagnosis.

The Nursing domain enables NP to practice a holistic approach to health care as well as provide comprehensive patient care. Remembering the nursing domain is critical to achieving better patient outcomes and managing various health-related aspects. In particular, it is important to be aware of the need for patient education, family interactions, and the potential impact of the environment on health and treatment outcomes. All this enables NPs to provide the most effective care according to the patient’s needs.

References

Dunphy, L. M., Winland-Brown, J. E., Porter, B. O., & Thomas, D. J. (2019). Primary care: The art and science of advanced practice nursing – An interprofessional approach (5th ed.). F. A. Davis Company.

Will. K. K., Johnson, M. L., & Lamb, G. (2019). Team-based care and patient satisfaction in the hospital setting: A systematic review. Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews, 6(2), 158-171. Web.