Nurse Practitioner Practice

Number: A Minimum of 2 to Peer Posts, at least one on a different day than the main post Length: A minimum of 150 words per post, not including references Citations: At least one high-level scholarly reference in APA per post from within the last 5 years Peer post: The state of Arizona is a full practice authority state, and NP’s do not require physician collaboration, supervision, or consultation. (Phillips, 2020) NP’s have full independent practice authority and full independent prescriptive authority. NP’s are recognized in state policy as primary care providers. Primary care provider means a general practice physician, family practitioner, internist, pediatrician, osteopath, naturopath, physician assistant, osteopathic physician assistant, and advanced registered nurse practitioner. (Scope of Practice Policy, 2020) RNP’s in Arizona have full prescribing and dispensing authority. However, effective October 1, 2017, prescribers must obtain a utilization report from the CSPMP’s central database before prescribing an opioid analgesic or benzodiazepine CS’s in Schedules II, III, or IV (Phillips, 2020). NP’s in Arizona can also admit and discharge patients to any healthcare facility, EXCEPT for acute care facilities, which require an attending physician for this designation (Phillips, 2020). The state of Arizona does not require NP’s to have a collaboration or supervisory agreement with a physician. Arizona does not require ‘residency’ hours with a physician or NP before the NP can practice independently. However, I do support having residency hours as a requirement for independent practice. I would feel more competent to practice if I could complete residency training. Residencies are offered to new RN’s, why not to new NP’s who have a much higher responsibility? NP’s are greatly respected and valued in Arizona. We have a large rural population, particularly within the Native American reservations such as the Navajo Nation, which is spread out across parts of New Mexico and Utah as well, with a lot of farmland and many migrant farmworkers and their families. The role of the NP helps fill the gap in health disparities for minorities and low-income patients. (Ortiz, Hofler, Bushy, et al. 2018). The leaders in our industry work hard and passing legislation that supports NP autonomy and the ability to practice safe, evidence-based, patient-centered care. References Phillips, Susanne J. DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP 32nd Annual APRN Legislative Update, The Nurse Practitioner: January 2020 – Volume 45 – Issue 1 – p 28-55 doi: 10.1097/01.NPR.0000615560.11798.5f Arizona Scope of Practice Policy: State Profile. (2020). In Scope of Practice Policy. Retrieved July 15, 2020 from http://scopeofpracticepolicy.org/states/az/#tab-nurse-practitioners Ortiz, J., Hofler, R., Bushy, A., Yi-ling, L., Khanijahani, A., & Bitney, A. (2018). Impact of nurse practitioner practice regulations on rural population health outcomes. Healthcare, 6(2) doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6020065