Certification And Licensing Assignment Paper
Certification and licensure verify that nurse practitioners have met predetermined specialty standards, the knowledge, and the set of skills required in a specialized area. Certifications are accredited by non-governmental organizations while licenses are accredited by the state depending on the practice agreement. This paper aims to discuss the certification and licensing of APRNs in California, the scope of practice, and barriers that impact APRNs’ independent scope of practice. Certification And Licensing Assignment Paper
My current state is Georgia certain educational, certification, and authorization requirements are needed for the certification and licensure of an APRN. The state requires that for an APRN authority, one must have a master’s degree or higher in nursing or in a specialty area. Secondly, one must become nationally certified by a certifying agency approved by the board. Lastly, one must apply for authorization for disclosure of social security number (Georgia Secretary of State 2023)Certification And Licensing Assignment Paper. Application for certification in Georgia is done online or through email. One must have met educational, certification, and authorization requirements and must submit all the required documentation and fees. All these certification guidelines can be found on the state nursing board website, https://sos.ga.gov/georgia-board-nursing.
The scope of practice of APRN in Georgia is defined by its nursing board as the practice of a registered professional nurse that fulfills the required practice, educational, and certification requirements listed by the board. The agreement states that the scope of practice for APRNs is restricted, meaning they must have a protocol agreement with supervisory physicians. In some states including Georgia, APRNs have been granted the prescriptive authority for schedule II-V controlled substances. In some cases that require the prescription of legal controlled substances, one must have a DEA license. In Georgia, to get a DEA license requires that one must meet licensing requirements, have protocol reviewed by the Medical Board, and pay the application fee. Georgia.gov (2023) states, that APRNs in Georgia with active DEA numbers must register for PDMP. This is fundamental as it helps exude overprescription of controlled substances and provides professionals with vital information on the prescription history of a patient. Certification And Licensing Assignment Paper
In Georgia, the types of regulation set are related to the scope of practice and prescription where APRNs are required to have a protocol agreement with supervisory physicians. In addition, APRNs have a prescriptive authority for schedule II-V controlled substances but their charts must be reviewed by the collaborative physician. The restricted scope of practice creates barriers in the provision of quality services as nurses cannot practice independently. According to Johnson et.al (2021)Certification And Licensing Assignment Paper, the removal of practice barriers in Georgia can have a positive impact on physician shortage, especially in rural areas as nurse practitioners can practice autonomously.
From my research, what surprised me is that despite vehement efforts to remove practice barriers in Georgia, the efforts have borne no fruit. Efforts to introduce the full scope of practice of nurse practitioners that would enable them to practice autonomously have faced great opposition from some agencies. As such, the issue of physician shortage continues to be prevalent in the state of Georgia. As such, it is important that nursing organizations continue to fight for the implementation of full scope of practice for their nurses.
In summary, the Georgia Board of nursing is responsible for the certification and licensure of APRNs. To acquire an APRN authorization, one must meet all educational, certification, and authorization requirements set by the board. Certification And Licensing Assignment Paper
References
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. (2023). How to guide: APRN / NP: Georgia secretary of State. How to Guide: APRN / NP | Georgia Secretary of State. https://sos.ga.gov/how-to-guide/how-guide-aprn-np#Initial%20Authority%20Licensure%20Checklist
Georgia.gov. (2023). Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). Georgia Composite Medical Board. https://medicalboard.georgia.gov/professionals/pdmp-information
Johnson DNP, Claudette; Nelson PhD, Michelle; and Eades DNP, Lee H., “Nurse Practitioner Autonomy in Georgia: Exploring Barriers to Full Practice Authority.” , Georgia State University, 2021.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/24445727 Certification And Licensing Assignment Paper