Scope of Florida’s Nursing Practice

Clinics, hospitals, Veterans Affairs and American Medical Centers, emergency departments, urgent maintenance sites, isolated physician, nursing facilities, such as colleges, public health departments and homeless clinics, are just a few of the places where nurse practitioners (NPs) work. Assessments done by NPs include; organizing, performing, monitoring, as well as analyzing laboratory exams, coming up with diagnosis and also treatment. Instituting and managing treatment, such as writing prescriptions and non-pharmacologic treatment options, care coordination, counseling, and patient education. Their families, and societies are just some of the things that NPs do (Auty et al., 2020). In Florida, NPs are limited to practicing within the area of a registered nurse and must follow specified protocols to conduct overlapping healthcare responsibilities. An NP can only conduct medical activities beyond the competence of a registered nurse in specified instances and with certain approvals.

Level of Practice Independence

In California, House Bill 890 (AB 890) authorizes NPs who have worked under the supervision of a physician over a certain length of time to operate autonomously (Auty et al., 2020). The measure, enacted on September 29th, will make California the 23rd state in the United States to provide FPA to nurse practitioners. NPs are increasingly being allowed to work as solo healthcare professionals even without the necessity for physician supervision or participation.

Prescribing Authority

Florida is one of only two states where advanced nurse practitioners (ARNPs) are prohibited from prescribing banned medications like opioids. If the ARNP’s procedure with their supervisory physicians permits it, the ARNP could administer non-controlled drug prescriptions. In Florida, NPs are subject to limited practice authority, which means they must obtain a written agreement with just a health professional before prescribing medications, interpreting diagnostic tests, or providing other critical services (Auty et al., 2020). On the other hand, registered nurses in Florida may prescribe, deliver, dispense, and recommend drugs; including schedule II-V controlled drugs, under certain conditions and with guidance.

Practice Limitations

Florida is one of 22 states and the only one in the East which restricts nurse practitioners by mandating them to operate under physician supervision (Auty et al., 2020). Physician assistants can only work under the doctor’s care in Florida, and most restrictions on their activity will be expected to remain in place. In this state, the procedure for acquiring licensing is as follows: in Florida, an NP can get certified by finishing an in-state curriculum that is authorized to perform by the board and gaining certification from a reputed organization, or by completing an identical program (Auty et al., 2020). According to studies, the cost to register for licensing is $150 as of July 2019. This application is to take ten to one week to process.

Licensing Requirements Include Certification and Education

To practice as a Registered Nurse in Florida, one must first complete a Bachelor of Science degree in health and medicine, explicitly nursing, from an NLN-accredited school that incorporates professional nursing practice education. Those treated by nurse practitioners have higher positive patient outcomes, fewer needless hospitalization rates, fewer possibly avoidable hospitalizations, and reduced emergency department visits’ complexity than people diagnosed by physicians (Auty et al., 2020). However, their constraints on the area of practice in California have had a significant influence on outcomes for patient care, resulting in a decreased supply of NPs. Worse access to healthcare coverage for citizens, lower utilization of primary care services, and higher rates of admissions and emergency room visits. The NP-to-patient ratio is lower, and the Emergency Departments (ED) are overloaded.

It is enticing to use the NP to improve patients’ accessibility to emergency and critical care. The reformation of healthcare provision through optimal workforce management may help mitigate the expected surge in healthcare expenditure while also addressing healthcare inequities (Auty et al., 2020). They contribute to reducing gaps by collaborating with nurses to promote medical services and focusing on improving local, national, and governmental policies to improve access, equality, and preventive care.

Reference

Auty, S. G., Stein, M. D., Walley, A. Y., & Drainoni, M. L. (2020). Buprenorphine waiver uptake among nurse practitioners and physician assistants: The role of existing waivered prescriber supply. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 115, 108032.