FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONERS

This research paper presents an overview of maintaining currency of knowledge and skills for family nurse practitioners. The following areas are included: family nurse practitioner (FNP); professional requirements; available options such as continuing education programs, professional journals, and internet; and alternative options beyond requirements.

Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) include the registered professional nurse. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are those registered nurses trained at a master's level. Certification from the American Nurses Association or a specialty nursing group is provided in most states. NPs demonstrate abilities to provide care to underserved groups such as women, children, or the elderly, they can specialize in a given area such as family. NPs are independently licensed, 20 states allow complete autonomous practice and 48 states allow some form of prescribing authority (Pickwell, 1997, p. 1094; Sherwood, Brown, Fay, & Wardell, 1997, p. 1).

NPs scope of practice include health care services to individuals, families, groups, and communities, with a focus on promotion of health and disease prevention. This may include assessment, diagnosis and disease management, and require knowledge of tests, pharmacologic agents, treatments, and non-drug therapies. NPs with specific specialties need additional knowledge related to their target pop

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the registered nurse includes the requirement of specialized knowledge and skill which is derived from principles of multiple sciences, to include biological, physical, behavioral, social, and nursing. This care includes the identification and assessment of people and their health status as well as the providing of treatment and counseling. Nursing practice evaluation is part of the nursing regimen (NCSBN). Professional Journals. Professional journals offer information regarding the nursing profession, including options for maintaining currency of knowledge and skills, and options for continued education. There are numerous journals available to the FNP, below are descriptions of a few found that are put out by the Springhouse Corporation (Springhouse Journals, 2000). The Nurse Practitioner: The American Journal of Primary Health Care is a monthly scholarly journal that presents research findings with practical applications, and news regarding topics such as drugs, case reports, and continuing education. Nursing 2000 is a monthly journal that is considered the leading source of practical clinical and professional information for the nursing profession with both a human and professional side; included in its volumes ar
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Approximate Word count = 2464
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

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