Nurse Practitioner Research Paper Example

Health care is a rapidly changing and uncertain field.  There are many different levels of professions which make up health care, ranging from EMTs to surgeons.  One specific, vital profession employs more than 325,000 people- Nurse Practitioners (“NP Fact Sheet”).  Nurse Practitioners provide healthcare to people of all ages, ethnicities, and social status.  Many nurse practitioners take pride in their ability to help clients and their families understand why their health is important (Green).  A nurse practitioner begins their journey as a registered nurse, then takes the extra steps by obtaining a graduate degree and advanced training with numerous kinds of patients.  As a nurse practitioner, somebody can expect to work directly with patients in a doctor's office, outpatient healthcare facilities, or a hospital (Santore).  The main duties of a Nurse Practitioner include assessing patients' health statuses, making diagnoses, maintaining medical charts, and developing treatment plans (“A Day”).  When speaking on nursing, Christine Belle claims, “Nurses are there when the last breath is taken, and nurses are there when the first breath is taken. Although it is more enjoyable to celebrate the birth, it is just as important to comfort in death” (“85 Nursing Quotes”).  This has been true for many years, beginning when nurse practitioning was first founded.

In 1965, Dr. Loretta Ford and Dr. Henry Silver created the first nurse practitioner program within the University of Colorado, and in 1967, the first Masters program for NP's was opened in Boston College (“Historical Timeline”).  The original reason for nurse practitioners was because of a physician shortage.  After Dr. Ford and Dr. Silver sparked the idea of nurse practitioners, many other states introduced the profession (“Nurse Practitioners”).  There began the critical steps needed to become a nurse practitioner.

When in an undergraduate program, many nurses obtain a bachelor of science degree in nursing.  When completed, prospective nurse practitioners must pass the National Certification Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX).  In a graduate degree program, NPs will work through didactic and clinical rotations, helping to build experience with the nursing field.  To maintain stability through the field of nursing, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, and National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation must watch these graduate programs closely to ensure they are teaching the most correct and efficient methods (“Nurse Practitioner Education”).  Every NP program must include NP-specific criteria pertaining to curriculum, faculty, and clinical practice. Nurse practitioners must lastly pass national, standardized exams.  These exams will ensure that a prospective nurse practitioner will undoubtedly be able to provide the most efficient and advanced care (“Nurse Practitioner Education”).  When students have completed their training, they move onto day to day nurse practitioning.

Nurse practitioners typically wear scrubs and a lab coat.  They also have the freedom to wear business or dress clothes, with their lab coat on top, while dealing with patients.  When it comes to footwear, many NPs choose to wear comfortable shoes.  Because the job comes with unforeseen emergencies and different substances being spilled onto the shoes, they must be sturdy and safe (“What Nurse Practitioners”).  As stated previously, nurse practitioners must be able to adapt with the times and trends.  Nurses have recently seen change within their profession through the use of technology.  By 2017, 95% of U.S. hospitals implemented electronic medical record systems.  Nurses use technology to monitor patients, give medicine, keep track of patients health records and charts, and communicate with patients and other healthcare professionals (Bailey).  This, however, was not always the case.

When looking back into the history of health care, there are significant people within the topic.  One example being Clara Barton, who was a critical component as to how healthcare operates today.  In the First Battle of Bull Run, Clara Barton recovered soldiers' lost baggage, secured medicine and supplies for wounded soldiers, and passed through battle lines to search for missing soldiers and nurse the wounded.  She continued these courageous acts throughout the Civil War, until she was appointed superintendent of nurses for the Army of the James (“Clara Barton”). In the Civil War, she gained the nickname "Angel of the Battlefield."  When Clara Barton returned home, she decided that the US should be a part of the Red Cross, a newly founded health initiative in which many other countries were already a part of.  Alongside Frederick Douglass, she founded the American Red Cross in 1881.  She served as president until 1904  (“Founder Clara Barton”).  The Red Cross continues to serve as a vital component within today’s ever changing healthcare system.  

The CoronaVirus pandemic has changed the field of nurse practitioning in a number of ways, including: scheduling changes, fewer new patients, fewer checkups, less revenue for practice/facility, and difficulty securing supplies.  Some NP's obtained another state license, and practiced in another state as well (“Impact of Covid-19”).  When speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic, nurse practitioner Chandra Matteson stated, “This is exactly what everybody trained for and what we were meant to do. It’s the reason most of us went into these professions” (Lindberg).  It is abundantly clear that this field of work requires readiness for anything.

Nurse practitioners have constantly proven their efficiency in providing high quality, affordable health care.  A great deal of health care consumers rely on nurse practitioners for said reasons and many more.  Health care is an ever-changing field, and much is unknown, however, there is no doubt that nurse practitioners will continue to be vital in the rapidly changing health care system (Nurse Practitioners).  This is why The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 45% job growth of APRNs from 2019-2029.  This is much higher than the national average of 7-8%.  As of May 2020, the median yearly salary for nurse practitioners is $117,670 (“How to Become”).  Evidently, the field of nurse practitioners will continue to grow and thrive for many years to come.