Job Description

Summary
The ARNP, under supervision of the physician will:
- Complete physical assessments, evaluate and treat clinic patients with acute
and chronic health conditions
- Orders, interprets and follows up on appropriate labs and diagnostic tests
- Collaborates with physician, clinic staff and specialties during the course of
patients care
- Able to refer patients to appropriate specialties and specific therapies ie
physical/ occupational therapy
- Educates patients, family and community on health promotion
- Upholds a professional attitude at all times
Knowledge and Skills Required
-Interpersonal skills needed for interaction with patients/ families, physicians and
clinic staff
- Strong communication skills
- Have nights and weekends available
- Basic business skills
- Strong organizational skills, ability to multitask
Licensure / Certifications
- Valid Advanced practice State License issued by Florida Board of Nursing
- Valid Prescriptive Authority for Florida
- ANP accreditation from AANP or ANCC
Education/ Training
- Masters of Science in Nursing or Doctorate of Nursing Practice required
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
Below is a link that described the scope of practice for the ARNP by the AANP:
http://kkessingerarnp.weebly.com/uploads/2/7/5/1/27517893/scopeofpractice.p
df
Below is a link to the Nurse Practice Act :
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_
String=&URL=0400-0499/0464/0464PARTIContentsIndex.html

Political Advocacy Efforts

Below is an excerpt from some of the key insights Ive gained on political advocacy:
I have discovered that advanced practice nurses involvement in politics and
policymaking should be a normal occurrence; even somewhat innate to the
profession ( DeNisco and Barker, 2013). This notion comes from the fact that we as
advance practice nurses have an obligation to impact our communities and the ways
to do so have broadened over the years. Nurses are becoming more visible and
respected by appointed officials and even becoming appointed officials. I have
realized the call as an advanced practice nurse is to be very familiar with the policy
process as a whole and to not only discuss issues among nursing organizations, but
to pair up with other disciplines and specialties to elicit an amendment of the issues
that are of concern to us.
DeNisco and Barker (2013), highlighted the New Healthcare Paradigm and
the role the nurse plays. During my career and in even some of my studies I have
detected a tension between advance practice nurses and physicians. This paradigm
recognizes the nurse as a full team member. In my own practice I hope to see myself
on the same team as the medical professionals. Along with tension among
healthcare professions, there is push back from policymakers in regards to nurses
practicing to their full potential. We, as nurses, especially future APNs have the
capability to effectively communicate our intentions and concerns without a hostile
undertone; I hope to do so personally. This seems to be a constant battle but nurses
as professionals have come so far in this arena and will only continue to go further.
We all can see that healthcare is changing and the APN is a vital part in that
change. Instead of emphasizing sick care we are to focus on healthcare (DeNisco
& Barker, 2013). To aid in this movement, there are programs that allow
practitioners to share healthcare information over the Internet, giving more patients
access to healthcare; this is also been known as Telemedicine. Legislation has just
been passed to allow nurse practitioners to use this avenue and thus calling for the
term to be changed to telehealth (Florida Nurses Association, 2014). Tools such as
telehealth will give my colleagues and myself even more opportunities to improve
outcomes in the health of the community.
In the past, I have worked within the American Nurses Association via the
Workforce Advocacy Task force to try and improve working conditions for nurses. I
see now that as an APN I have so much of a bigger voice than I initially realized. I
will be my goal in the future to not just work WITHIN specific organizations but to
even collaborate with other disciplines as mentioned before to work towards
change.
References:
Florida Nurses Association. (2014) Nurses and telehealth Retrieved from
http://www.capwiz.com/fln/issues/alert/?alertid=63072006
DeNisco, S.M, & Barker, A. M. (2013). Advanced practice nursing: evolving roles for
the transformation of the profession (2nd Ed). Burlington, MA: Jones &
Bartlett Learning

Professional Development Plan

Academic

Clinical
Practice

Community
and
organization
al
Involvement

2014
Continue
part time
MSN study
Become
more
familiar
and
proficient
as an ICU
RN and
Acquire
CCRN
-Continue
involveme
nt in ANA/
FNA
- Join AACN
and seek
involveme
nt
-Volunteer
with Grace
Medical
Center as
RN

2015
Continue
part time
MSN study

2016
Obtain
MSN and
sit for
boards
-Assume
-Practicum
relief nurse clinical in
leader role
area of
in ICU
interest
- Adult I, II
- Work as
and Gero
an ARNP in
Care Clinical primary
care clinic
Attend NTI
and bring
back
improveme
nt tools to
unit and
organizatio
n
-Volunteer
with GMC

-Join AANP
as Career
Starter
and seek
involveme
nt
-Attend
AANP
National
Conference
-Volunteer
at GMC as
ARNP

2017
Begin DNP
part time
study

2018
Obtain
DNP

Develop
assessment
and
diagnostic
skills,
become
comfortable
working
independentl
y as an ARNP
- Change
AANP status
to NP and
get involved
in health
policy
leadership
- AANP
political
Action
Committee

- Work as
ARNP in
specialty
area
which
requires
inpatient
rounding
as well
- Gain
leadershi
p
position
in AANP
political
Action
Committe
e