Legal and Ethical Issues for Nurse Practitioners

 Are you interested in pursuing a career in a very strong field that is expected to boast strong job prospects throughout the coming decade? Do you enjoy helping others and making a positive difference in their lives? You may want to consider a career as a nurse practitioner. Unlike nurses, nurse practitioners must pass through advanced education and training and must earn a master's degree. With all these added requirements in the training process, nurse practitioners also have greater degree of freedom, flexibility and discretion in terms of working with patients. As the aging members of the baby boom generation continue to age and require medical attention, they will increasingly turn to nurse practitioners for affordable medical service. If you do opt to pursue a career in this field, it is important that you are aware of legal and ethical issues for nurse practitioners.

It is very important for a nurse practitioner to fully inform patients of the risks and complications that can arise as a result of various procedures. It is vital to then obtain proper signatures before proceeding to any procedures. If all appropriate signatures are not obtained, the nurse practitioner can be held liable for damages. It is absolutely crucial that a nurse practitioner have the mindset of documenting everything. Every single checkup, procedure, drug administration and prescription given should be accurately documented and placed on the record of the right patient. If these items are not documented properly or there is a mistake in patient records, the nurse practitioner can be liable for damages and face serious legal consequences. Based on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, patient records and personal information must be kept private. It is important for nurse practitioners to follow this standard in order to avoid legal issues. Finally, it is critical for nurse practitioners to be fully focused and alert at all times to avoid medical errors. Prescribing the wrong medicine or dosages can come back to mean legal issues for nurse practitioners. As for the ethical issues faced by nurse practitioners, it is important for professionals in this field to properly educate patients regarding all components of the health care process.

urse practitioners, like all other professionals in the health care industry, face serious legal and ethical issues. If you are pursuing a career in this field, you will learn more in-depth about these important issues during your training and education. Most importantly, nurse practitioners must always be fully focused and alert to ensure that all regulations are properly followed and medical errors minimized. 

ACHPN Nurse Practitioner Salary and Career Outlook

 Are you interested in pursuing a career in a robust medical field that provides incredibly strong job prospects and gives you the opportunity to help others through medical care and attention on a regular basis? 

Do you have the ability to perform consistently well under pressure situations? You may want to consider a career as a nurse practitioner. This career path will give you the opportunity to provide affordable health care to patients. 

There is always strong job security in this field regardless of economic circumstances. As the baby boom generation continues to age, there will be extremely high demand for quality, affordable health care. You may want to consider a career as a hospice and palliative care nurse (ACHPN). ACHPN nurses work with physicians, social workers or chaplains as part of a comprehensive team. 

This comprehensive team then uses it collective strengths and training in order to help patients and families suffering from illness. 

Most ACHPN nurses are generalists but there are also some who specialize in fields such as oncology, pediatrics or geriatrics. Let's take a look at the overall salary outlook for ACHPN nurse practitioners. 

Nursing is one of the fastest growing professions and is expected to grow some 23 percent between the years 2020 and 2030. Positions specifically for ACHPN nurses are expected to even outpace this growth as they are more frequently offered in nursing homes. 

According to salary.com, the average hospice nursing salary is $49,000 while the average for palliative nursing is $56,000. Of course, this can vary significantly depending on geography, employer, training, education and experience. It is important to earn certification through the National Board for Certification for Hospice and Palliative Nurses (NBCHPN) in order to maximize the salary you can command starting out as an ACHPN nurse practitioner.

If you are interested in pursuing a very rewarding career as a nurse practitioner and want to determine which specialty to target, you may want to consider a career as an ACHPN nurse practitioner. As an ACHPN nurse practitioner, you will work within a comprehensive team to provide assistant to patients and families suffering from illness. You can expect to make in the neighborhood of $50,000 starting out in this field.

Career Advancement: Transitioning From Registered Nurse To Nurse Practitioner

 Are you currently working as a registered nurse? Would you like to have greater interaction with your patients and provide them with health counseling? Would you like to have more responsibilities and a higher pay but still remain in the healthcare industry? If you answered yes to these questions, you are an ideal candidate to become a nurse practitioner. A nurse practitioner is qualified to counsel patients, administer treatments and prescribe medicine. A nurse practitioner also enjoys a far greater annual salary in comparison to a registered nurse. Let's take a look at how to make this jump from registered nurse to nurse practitioner.

In order to make the leap from registered nurse to nurse practitioner, it is important to first build your confidence by taking into account that a nurse practitioner is essentially the same as a registered nurse, but has just some more education and training. You are already far ahead in the journey of becoming a nurse practitioner since you are a registered nurse. You must pursue a Master's Degree in your specialized field, which will take approximately two years to complete. You will receive a mix of both classroom study and hands-on clinical training in this timeframe. If you happen to be extremely busy and could use more flexibility, you may consider taking some online courses as part of your degree. You may need to continue your current job as a nurse and the benefit of an online course is that it lets you work on your timeframe. You can complete coursework either before your job or after. After you complete your advanced education and training, you must then take a national exam in order to obtain licensure.

A nurse can absolutely make the jump from registered nurse to nurse practitioner. As a registered nurse, you already have the advantage of being far ahead on the journey to becoming a nurse practitioner. You must complete a Master's Degree in a specialized field and then obtain state licensure by completing a national exam. While all this may sound very tough and challenging, you will earn recognition among the medical community and enjoy a substantially higher salary.