Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan

Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay

A registered professional nurse who has completed a program of graduate study and supervised practice, has proven their depth and breadth of knowledge, competence, and skill in the advanced practice of psychiatric/mental health nursing, and has been given permission to practice by the Board is referred to as a clinical nurse specialist (Dozier, 2019). In an effort to encompass all conceivable practice areas and care settings, nurse practitioners have a very broad scope of practice. Understanding the scope of practice is essential for being knowledgeable and able to make an informed choice.(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

Before obtaining APRN authorization, you must be a registered professional nurse in Georgia. To qualify for APRN authority in Georgia, a nurse must hold a master’s degree or higher in nursing or in a specialty field of advanced practice registered nursing. In order to qualify for APRN authority in Georgia, nurse practitioners (NPs) with APRN authorization are allowed to specialize in a population emphasis, disease or medical specialization, or type of service. The master’s degree you now possess may need to be specific to the population emphasis or medical specialization for which you are seeking certification, according to national certification organizations that provide this kind of specialist certification. Georgia state practice and licensing rules limit a nursing practitioner’s capacity to execute at least one part of nursing. State legislation stipulates that a nurse practitioner must be continually under the direction of, subordinate to, or overseen by another healthcare professional in order to offer patient care (AANP, 2021). The boundaries set forth by Georgia’s scope of practice for nurse practitioners must be followed. Georgia state is one of the restrictive states that prevents nursing practitioners from practicing on their own. A supervising physician will provide the required guidance to the assigned nurse.(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

In Georgia, nurse practitioners require medical supervision. The task of assigning assignments to the nurses belongs to the doctors. Doctors have authority over the usage of nurse practitioners (Clement, 2018). They are able to assign jobs like making prescriptions for medicines. Both parties will sign a contract outlining the duties that a nurse practitioner is expected to carry out. Prescription of drugs without the doctor’s co-signature is one of the duties.(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

Before exercising their prescriptive authority, APRNs in Georgia must have a National Provider Number and an active license to practice as APRNs in the state (NPI). An NPI is a unique identification number created specifically for covered health care providers in to enhance the efficacy and effectiveness of the electronic interchange of health records. Use of NPIs is compulsory for all health plans, covered health care providers, and healthcare clearinghouses in administrative and monetary transactions (Reed, 2020). A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number is required for APRNs who will be prescribing or distributing illegal medicines III, IV, or V (Dozier, 2019). The nursing protocol agreement must be signed by the delegating physician, designated physician, and APRN before being submitted to the GCMB for approval, which might take up to 30 days. The Georgia Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) provides APRNs and other prescribers with the information they need to supervise the prescriptions and distribution of controlled substances. The PDMP contains information about the patient’s medical history, including the frequency and dose of prescribed and dispensed controlled drugs. Visit https://sos.ga.gov/index.php/licensing/plb/45/licensure as a registered nurse to access the website of the Georgia State Board of Nursing.(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

Four different APRN designations are approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing: clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse-midwife, and clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric/mental health. In order to practice, you must have national certification in the broad field of specialty. There are independent national certification organizations that help with this procedure, and each one has its own requirements for training, work history, and exams. The only organizations recognized for Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing and Adult Nurse Practitioner, respectively, are ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center) and AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Nurse Practitioner, respectively (McMullen & Howie, 2020).(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

The nursing protocol agreement must be signed by the delegating physician, the APRN, and themselves before being submitted to the GCMB for approval, which could take up to 30 days. The Georgia Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) provides APRNs and other prescribers with the information they need to monitor the prescription and distribution of controlled substances. The PDMP contains information about the patient’s medical history, including the frequency and dose of prescribed and dispensed controlled drugs. Furthermore, a DEA number is also necessary only if the APRN will be writing prescriptions for restricted medications. The APRN can only prescribe category III-V medications and normal prescriptions without a DEA number. Schedules I and II can only be prescribed by doctors. The APRN can only provide normal prescriptions without a DEA number because they are not allowed to prescribe any scheduled medications (such as antibiotics, etc.). The standard process for obtaining a DEA number is to submit your protocol to the Medical Board, receive written confirmation that the Medical Board has evaluated your procedure, and then submit your application to the DEA.(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

I was surprised to learn from my study on Georgia rules that restrictions on nurse practitioners’ autonomy still exist, despite the state’s dire need for primary care physicians. To qualify for APRN licensing, a registered nurse practitioner is necessary. An APRN’s authorization is determined by their graduate degree and national specialized certification.(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

                                                       Reference

AANP Forum. (2021). Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(8), 906–909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2021.08.023

Chappell, K. B., Howard, M. S., Lundmark, V., & Ivory, C. (2021). Credentialing and certification: Overview, science, and impact on policy, regulation, and practice. International Nursing Review,68(4), 551-556.https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12721(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

Clement, D. M. (2018). Factors Influencing Georgia Legislators’ Decision-Making on Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 19(3-4), 91-99.

Dozier, A. L. (2019). An Investigation of Nursing Faculty Teacher Efficacy in Nursing Schools in Georgia. ABNF Journal, 30(2).

McMullen, P. C., & Howie, W. O. (2020). Credentialing and privileging: A primer for nurse practitioners. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 16(2), 91-95.(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

Reed, S. M. (2020). National provider identifier: Why every Clinical Nurse Specialist needs one. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 34(5), 231-23(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

Response to Colleague

Thank you for sharing your research on the Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan. Your detailed explanation of the requirements for APRN authorization in Georgia was very informative. It is surprising to learn that nurse practitioners in Georgia require medical supervision, as the state requires primary care physicians. It is important to note that nurse practitioners must follow the boundaries set forth by Georgia’s scope of practice and are not allowed to practice independently. The requirement for a supervising physician to guide the assigned nurse is essential for ensuring quality patient care.(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)
Appropriate training, work experience, and certification are crucial for nurse practitioners to provide competent and safe patient care. National accreditation is important in demonstrating expertise in a particular specialty and ensuring patients receive high-quality care (Hudspeth & Klein, 2019). By obtaining national certification, nurse practitioners can also demonstrate their commitment to ongoing professional development and staying up-to-date with the latest evidence-based practices. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic.(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)
I appreciate your emphasis on nurse practitioners needing a National Provider Number and an active license to practice as APRNs in Georgia. The use of NPIs is mandatory for all health plans, covered healthcare providers, and healthcare clearinghouses in administrative and monetary transactions, which enhances the efficacy and effectiveness of the electronic interchange of health records. Overall, your research on the Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan highlights the importance of understanding the scope of practice for nurse practitioners in Georgia. Your explanation of the different APRN designations and the requirements for national certification in the broad field of specialty is helpful for anyone seeking APRN authorization in Georgia.(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

Reference

Hudspeth, R. S., & Klein, T. A. (2019). Understanding nurse practitioner scope of practice: regulatory, practice, and employment perspectives now and for the future. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 31(8), 468–473.(Georgia Nurse Practitioner Professional Certification and Licensure Plan Essay)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/