NR 500 WEEK 4 APN Professional Development Plan Paper

NR 500 WEEK 4 APN Professional Development Plan Paper. Being a higher level profession, there are more responsibilities and expectations that are expected from an individual. The major difference between a RN and a NP, besides the education, is the problem-solving mindset that a NP has. With the process of transitioning from a RN to a NP being so drastic, a plan should be created to execute and keep a nurse on track. The NP plan development should include scope of practice, educational requirements, regulatory requirements, competencies, and leadership skills. APN Scope of Practice The state that I intend to practice after graduation is Illinois. All the shadowing and experience I have gained in from Illinois, and I believe that I know and am comfortable with the system here. Certified nurse practitioners are members in health care that provide primary and acute care in diverse areas of specialties such as: family practice, pediatric, geriatric, internal medicine, and women’s health (APRN Consensus Work Group & National Council of State Boards of Nursing APRN Advisory Committee, 2008). Nurse Practitioners come with many educational requirements, regulatory requirements, and specific Licensure. A prerequisite to an APRN licensure is holding an active Registered Nurse license (Nursing Licensure, 2021). This means that we need to first complete the requirements of a RN - but this is not the only factor that dictates the requirements for becoming a NP. The educational requirements needed for the state of Illinois to become a NP is making sure the exams and master’s program is finished. NP is a profession that is considered as a graduate level speciality; this ideology is based on problemsolving and critical thinking with the base knowledge of BSN. When it comes to working in Illinois, there are restrictions and NP practice is limited and reduced (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2021). Being a nurse practitioner in Illinois allows them to have full authority within the state (Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, 2021). Some of the allowed APN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN PAPER 3 responsibilities include the following: being able to prescribe medications, use of local anesthetics, and full control of diagnostics with collaborations with physicians (Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, 2021).