For a person to become a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), they must have advanced academic qualifications. For instance, one must attain a bachelor’s degree first to be considered for a master’s degree program. Some tertiary nursing training institutions usually provide bridge programs, which can facilitate the process of attaining a master’s degree without necessarily having a bachelor’s degree program. FNPs can consider going for a terminal degree, which is the Doctor of Nursing Practice (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2019). Although the master’s degree allows nurses to practice as FNPs, the doctoral qualification equips them with the skills that enable them to provide high-quality, holistic, and patient-centered health services.

            The Coalition for Patients’ Rights determines the scope of practice of FNPs. American Nurses Association (n.d) indicates that this body was formed primarily to address the American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) scope of practice. This scope of practice limited that of other licensed healthcare providers, including FNPs. Although this was a positive move aimed at improving the reputation of physicians, it contributed to restricting access to health services for healthcare consumers. ANA defines the scope of practice of NPs and outlines services that must be provided as per any given qualifications. Professional organizations consider the competencies of nurses before making their inputs in the scope of practice, but political organizations are concerned with access to healthcare services.

            Advanced Practice Nurses (APRNs) face significant restrictions when it comes to delivering patient care. For instance, APRNs must practice under the supervision of physicians (Florida Board of Nursing, 2020). They are also not allowed to prescribe medications without the permission of physicians. Furthermore, they must get two separate licenses. The prescriptive authority can be changed to facilitate independent practice among APRNs. This goal can be achieved by collecting evidence on the efficacy of the practice of APRNs, justifying it to the legislator, and then allowing the legislator to draft a bill to support it.

                                                                                            References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2019). DNP fact sheet. Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/DNP-Fact-Sheet

American Nurses Association. (n.d). Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN). Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/aprn/

Florida Board of Nursing. (2020). Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN). Retrieved from https://floridasnursing.gov/nursing-faqs/advanced-practice-registered-nurse-aprn/