Posted: September 4th, 2023
The Role of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in Pharmacology
The Role of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in Pharmacology
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are highly-skilled professionals who have received specialized training in the nursing profession. They are licensed by state nursing boards, which ensure that they are competent and capable of providing high-quality healthcare services. APRNs are an advanced subset of registered nurses and are licensed to practice independently. They are trained in various disciplines, including physical assessment, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and clinical diagnosis, which enables them to make accurate diagnoses and prescribe appropriate medications and treatment plans for their patients.
After decades of research, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) has determined that NPs have the necessary skills and training to provide safe, high-quality, and affordable healthcare services. For over 50 years, nursing practitioners have been providing patients with primary, acute, and specialty healthcare services.
In August 2019, the AANP granted nursing practitioners unrestricted prescriptive authority, which includes the ability to diagnose and dispense medications within their scope of practice. Prior restrictions on prescriptive authority limited the practitioner’s ability to provide comprehensive care to their patients. However, prescriptive authority may vary from state to state and depends on the level of degree, specialty, and type of drug in question. Some states grant registered nurses greater prescriptive authority, while others regulate it more strictly.
It is the legal responsibility of APRNs and other nursing practitioners to strictly adhere to ethical guidelines when prescribing medications to their patients to ensure their safety. They must stay informed about new medications on the market and their potential side effects to avoid prescription errors. Additionally, they must conduct comprehensive interviews and obtain a complete list of the medications their patients are currently taking before writing any prescriptions. This enables them to identify potential interactions and side effects and prescribe the appropriate medication accordingly.
The role of APRNs in pharmacology goes beyond simply writing a prescription. They must have a comprehensive understanding of the interactions and potential effects of all medications, particularly for patients who are taking multiple medications. Moreover, they should be knowledgeable about pain medication rules, prescribing medications for friends and relatives, and other issues related to medical prescriptions, such as the ongoing opioid crisis. By fulfilling their responsibilities in pharmacology, APRNs can provide safe and effective healthcare services to their patients.
References
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2021). What is a nurse practitioner? Retrieved from https://www.aanp.org/all-about-nps/what-is-an-np
National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2021). APRN prescriptive authority. Retrieved from https://www.ncsbn.org/aprn-prescriptive-authority.htm
World Health Organization. (2010). Nurse practitioner/advanced practice nurse. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/hrh/nursing_midwifery/en/
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