Running Head: WEEK 2 4
I choose this course foremost because it will enable me to understand life processes better. Learning anatomy and physiology is one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to me so far. On one hand, anatomy has enlightened me regarding the careful and articulate arrangement of the human body and its various systemic units. Since I am very interested in the field of pharmacology, learning anatomy is the first step towards understanding the effects of various drugs on the mortal body. A knowledge of anatomy is not only valuable to me but in extension to the community that I will one day serve in the medical profession. On the other hand, physiology has broken things further down for me. I have been taught the chemical reactions within the body under the influence of various drugs, how they each function, and why they function as they do in addition to what is normal and abnormal (Kramlich, 2017).
Q2.
Foremost, nurses that have specialized graduate education and are registered possess the necessary qualifications to practice their careers as health professionals, treat a wide range of patient population ranging from children to the elderly and the community in extension. Nurses form a vital part of the healthcare system due to the services they are trained to offer. The services I am qualified to offer to include performing an array of physical exams, ordering vital tests aimed at diagnosis of illness, prescription of required medication, and training the patient on methods of promoting their wellbeing and alleviating diseases. Healthcare inequality is a global concern whereby within any population there are numerous defenseless and underserved communities in our society. There are regions where healthcare is not easily available resulting in numerous long-lasting and contagious infections. I believe that every individual deserves to receive medical care irrespective of their community. Thus, qualified APRN nurse I have a role to play in promoting and preserving the community’s health by applying the knowledge they have learned in a community health center anywhere across the globe to improve the welfare of individuals living there.
Q3.
My expectations as a prescriber comprise having an extensive degree of prescriptive authority over prescriptions, controlled medications, and medical devices. I am also expected to understand all the legal and ethical repercussions of prescribing medication. Today, the prescriber profession is necessitated to undergo formal medical training before being allowed to work in any health facility with full prescriptive authority. The recent opioid crisis has altered the scope of practice whereby early on FNPs had full authority to prescribe medications. Today, before qualifying as an FNPs one must undertake a very rigorous and in-depth training program and pass a probationary period before becoming an approved prescriptive authority. Furthermore, my responsibilities have increased as I am necessitated to work collaboratively with physicians. Thus despite being a respected medical professional capable of understanding drug interactions as well as the possible side effects, there are numerous oversight measures and guidelines that continually impede my profession. Before prescribing any medication, I am completely aware of my need to understand the drugs I prescribe, their effects, and necessary monitoring to ensure that they do not adversely affect the patient. I will ensure that I check the patient’s medical history as well as their present medical conditions. Whenever I am handling any medication I am not familiar with, I will seek my colleagues and other physician’s medical advice. I will also check the drug interaction warning which is commonly displayed on recommendation systems to ensuring that it is extensively tested (Henderson & Jones, 2017).
Q4.
The Standard of care is a vital component of the prescribing process. As a nursing practitioner, it is invaluable that I comply with the formal guidelines accepted within my profession. As such my clinical practice, diagnosis, and treatment process is guided by evidence-based medical principles. The principles ensure that I follow the best practice. Standard of care varies from one community to another since prescribing guidelines vary from one state to another. As such, practice guidelines for each location are regularly updated on the health and human services department. Standards are vital in the regulatory process including the licensing of professionals and institutions. I think it is vital that accreditation and certification are highly regulated to ensure that practitioners do not exploit or harm their patients. Standards of care also issue huge penalties to practitioners and institutions that are involved in questionable practices (Traynor & Buus, 2016).
The institutionalization of standards of care plays an integral role in the healthcare system. It necessitated the establishment of performance requirements across numerous individuals and institutions facilitating prescription of medications. Standards of care ensure that both public and private stakeholders, especially those that stand to benefit most from prescription and sale of pharmaceuticals are not involved in standard-setting and regulation. As a result, consumers and the general public are protected from exploitation by big pharmaceuticals. Standard play the prime role of ensuring patient safety, thus safety systems have been implemented in both the public regulation processes and private voluntary process. Public regulation ensures that governmental institutions and NGOs obtain the necessary licensing and professional oversight. Similarly, professional certification and accreditation ensure that professionals that do not adhere to safety standards and reinforce safety guidelines can be prosecuted for compromising their patients’ safety. I think these measures have made it more effective to identify unsafe healthcare providers and take action. Furthermore, states have mandated the responsibility to investigate complaints and periodically assess prescribers’ skills and knowledge of their practice (Kramlich, 2017).
References
Traynor, M., & Buus, N. (2016). Professional identity in nursing: UK students' explanations for poor standards of care. Social Science & Medicine, 166, 186-194.
Henderson, A., & Jones, J. (2017). Developing and maintaining compassionate care in nursing. Nursing Standard (2014+), 32(4), 60.
Kramlich, D. (2017). Complementary health practitioners in the acute and critical care setting: nursing considerations. Critical care nurse, 37(3), 60-65.