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Barriers to Advanced Practice Nursing

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Barriers to Advanced Practice Nursing

Advanced practice nursing (APN) has had a long history of facing various barriers to its

progress. These barriers have included restrictions on the scope of practice, lack of

reimbursement, and limited access to resources such as technology and data. However, despite

these challenges, APN has grown in importance and prevalence in healthcare settings. This essay

will discuss three of the most significant barriers that have hindered the progress of APN and

strategies for overcoming them. Despite the challenges, APN can continue to grow and flourish

by implementing effective techniques for overcoming the barriers of the scope of practice

restrictions, lack of reimbursement, and limited access to resources.

Limits on what can be considered "advanced practice" are slowing down the development

of this field. As an illustration, in some regions, including the United States and Canada, APNs

are limited in their ability to provide holistic care because they are prohibited from prescribing

drugs (Parker & Hill, 2017). To overcome this barrier, APN should advocate for policy changes

at the state and national levels to increase their scope of practice. Additionally, Torrens et al.,

2020 suggest that APN should work closely with their local and state governments to ensure that

their scope of practice is adequately defined and that they are allowed to engage in activities

within their scope of practice. Furthermore, APN should also collaborate with other healthcare

providers to ensure that they are adequately educated and trained to provide high-quality care

within their scope of practice. By advocating for expanded scope of practice, APN can help to

ensure that they can provide the highest quality of care and help advance their profession.

Lack of financial support is a significant barrier to expanding advanced nursing practice.

Many countries inadequately reimburse APNs for their services, hindering their ability to

effectively manage their courses, according to Miranda et al. (2018). To help overcome this
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barrier, Koivunen & Saranto (2018) discuss that APN should advocate for reimbursement

policies that recognize their expertise and the value of their services. APN should collaborate

with insurers and other healthcare providers to integrate into the healthcare system and secure

adequate reimbursement for their services. APN should ensure they stay informed about the

reimbursement policies of various organizations and collaborate with them to guarantee their

services receive an acceptable refund. By advocating for fair reimbursement, APNs can help to

ensure that they are adequately compensated for their services and support to advance their

profession.

Finally, one of the most significant barriers to the progress of advanced practice nursing

is limited access to resources. APN often lack access to technology, data, and other resources

that would allow them to provide more comprehensive care (Bryant-Lukosius et al., 2017). To

address this issue, Parker & Hill (2017) suggest that APN should advocate for policies that

provide access to the resources they need to deliver high-quality care, such as access to data and

technology. Additionally, APN should collaborate with other healthcare providers, insurers, and

vendors to ensure they have access to their needed resources. The collaboration can include

working with vendors to ensure that APN have access to the latest technology and advocating for

data and analytics to improve the quality of care. By supporting increased access to resources,

APN can help ensure that they can provide the highest quality of care and help advance their

profession.

In conclusion, effective strategies can be implemented to overcome the significant

barriers to the progress of advanced practice nursing. Advocating for policy changes to expand

the scope of practice and collaborating with other healthcare providers to ensure adequate

education and training can address restrictions on the area of practice. Lack of reimbursement
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can be addressed by advocating for policies recognizing the value of APN services and working

with insurers and other providers to ensure adequate compensation. Finally, advocating for

policies to provide access to necessary resources and working with vendors and other providers

to ensure access to the latest technology and data can address limited access to resources. By

implementing these strategies, APN can continue to grow and flourish and provide the highest

quality of care for their patients.

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References

Bryant-Lukosius, D., Valaitis, R., Martin-Misener, R., Donald, F., Peña, L. M., & Brousseau, L.

(2017). Advanced practice nursing: a strategy for achieving universal health coverage and

universal access to health. Revista latino-americana de enfermagem, 25.

https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.1677.2826

Koivunen, M., & Saranto, K. (2018). Nursing professionals' experiences of the facilitators and

barriers to the use of telehealth applications: a systematic review of qualitative studies.

Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 32(1), 24-44. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12445

Miranda Neto, M. V. D., Rewa, T., Leonello, V. M., & Oliveira, M. A. D. C. (2018). Advanced

practice nursing: a possibility for Primary Health Care?. Revista Brasileira de

Enfermagem, 71, 716-721. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0672

Parker, J. M., & Hill, M. N. (2017). A review of advanced practice nursing in the united states,

Canada, Australia, and hong kong special administrative region (SAR), china.

International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 4(2), 196-204.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2017.01.002

Torrens, C., Campbell, P., Hoskins, G., Strachan, H., Wells, M., Cunningham, M., ... &

Maxwell, M. (2020). Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of the advanced

nurse practitioner role in primary care settings: a scoping review. International Journal of

Nursing Studies, 104, 103443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103443