Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties

Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties

I have chosen to focus on the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) program. A lot of thought has gone into this decision. At first, I wanted to focus on the family nurse practitioner (FNP) route. However, after speaking with my student success advisor, she informed me that it sounded like the AGPCNP route was a better fit for me. I also completed the questionnaire on the Walden University website that helps determine which MSN specialization is right for you. The quiz identified that the AGPCNP program or the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program was best for me. Because I primarily would like to work with the adult population, I can focus my studies through the AGPCNP focus on this population. The AGPCNP focus will prepare me to guide the health and well-being of patients 13 years and older (Walden University, 2022)

I have gone back and forth on deciding which focus is best for me. I always thought obtaining my FNP would open many more opportunities. However, I know I do not have the desire to work with the pediatric population. I also started my nursing career in labor and delivery and am familiar with this population. However, it looks like focusing my studies on the AGPCNP specialization will allow me to work in Women’s Health if I desire. The AGPCNP focus will help me promote a more equitable system serving individuals with compassion and dignity (Walden University, 2022). The AGPCNP focus will prepare me to manage disease prevention, health promotion, health maintenance, and restore care in adolescents and adults (Walden University, 2022). I will be prepared to deliver quality primary care services and make an impact on the patients and community I serve (Walden University, 2022). 

There are many professional nursing organizations I could join that are affiliated with the AGPCNP focus, including the National Gerontological Nurses Association, Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, Coalition for Nurses in Advanced Practice, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and American College of Nurse Practitioner, to name a few. According to Echevarria (2018), nurses should join professional organizations that best fit their goals. The Gerontologic Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA) represents the interests of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) caring for older adults (Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, 2022). The GAPNA opens opportunities for APRNs in education, leadership, research, advocacy, networking, and improvements in evidence-based practice (Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, 2022). The GAPNA provides educational resources and up-to-date information about the care of older adults; it also offers opportunities for networking (Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, 2022). There are many membership benefits, including a subscription to the official Journal of GAPNA, quarterly newsletters, and access to legislative news (Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, 2022). Membership also includes discounts on renewal fees, study materials, the American Nursing Credentialing Center Certification, conferences, and professional memberships (Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, 2022). Membership fees are $100 annually, and members can join online (Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, 2022). Students, registered nurses, APRNs, and retired nurses may become members. Students in advanced practice courses receive all the same benefits as APRNs; however, they do not have voting privileges (Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, 2022). Students may also benefit from grants and scholarships (Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, 2022).  

References

Echevarria, I. M. (2018). Make connections by joining a professional nursing organization. Nursing, 48(12), 35-38.

Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association. (2022). Membership: Gerontological advanced practice nurses association (GAPNA). Membership | Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.gapna.org/membership 

Walden University. (2022). Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse practitioner (AGPCNP). Walden University. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from 

My 20 plus years in nursing is composed of a lot of experiences in many settings and roles and many starts and stops in returning to school. I’m no longer a spring chicken. I think reaching my mid 40’s may have been my propellant to go back to school (and to actually commit to finishing!). Returning to the bedside and taking the stress of leadership responsibilities off my shoulders helped me remember why I became a nurse in the first place and inspired me to do as much as I can to help more. This reckoning was why I decided to return to school and obtain my MSN.

Now that I knew the what and the when, I needed to decide what specialty. I reviewed the descriptions of the different MSN specialty tracks in the online Walden student handbook (waldenu.edu, 2921).  I knew my feelings towards leadership were strong enough to drop an anvil on any leadership specialties and I crossed that off my list right away. I wanted something that would allow me to provide the most help to the most people and allow me to be the most marketable to the widest net of opportunities. This is why I chose the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) route. My second choice was Adult Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP). I decided against the AGPCNP because I did not want to have any limit on the type of patient’s I would be able to see and treat.

The second part of our discussion this week focuses on affiliation with professional organizations within our chosen field. Our class resources gave us many articles on the importance and benefits of becoming active members in professional organizations. Such benefits include professional development, continuing education, and networking (Echevarria, I., 2018). Larger professional organization also provide membership benefits such as annual national conferences, discounts on goods and services, and the opportunity to earn professional credits (Quin-Szcesuil, 2016).  In reviewing the many nurse practitioner organizations, I decided on the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The AANP formed by combining the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Nurse Practitioners. (nursepractitionerschools.com). Members of the AANP are described as having the opportunity to make a difference in the strength of the Nurse Practitioner profession. That speaks to me and is in keeping with my personal and professional goals ().

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References

Be a part of the voice of the nurse practitioner. (n.d.). AANP: American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Retrieved February 14, 2021, from 

Echevarria, I. M. (2018). Make connections by joining a professional nursing organization. Nursing, 48(12), 35–38. 

Master of science in nursing. (n.d.). Walden University. Retrieved February 14, 2021, from 

Quinn-Szcesuil, J. (2016, March 25). Why you should join a nursing association. Dailynurse.com. Retrieved February 14, 2021, from 

staff writers. (2020, October 26). List of national, international, & states nurse practitioner associations. nursepractitionerschools.com. Retrieved February 14, 2021, from 

RESPOND TO AL…

Hello Al,

I agree with your choice of Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Adult Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) options as avenues to reach to more people, be more marketable and cast out the widest net of opportunities. The FNP provide a wide range of healthcare services across members of the family of varying ages (Heale et al., 2018). They provide primary care in terms of conducting diagnostic checks and screening for diseases and symptoms, give the treatment and even order for more tests, in general they assume a number of roles and are held more responsible at promoting the health of all the family members. On the other hand, the Adult Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner offer routine checkups, assessments, immunizations, health counselling and education. I do also agree with you that it is imperative for any practicing nurse to join a professional association to be able to promote career development, increased avenues of continuing education and broaden the professional networks that could be the connections for future job search and opportunities (Gaines, 2019).

References

Heale, R., Dahrouge, S., Johnston, S., & Tranmer, J. E. (2018). Characteristics of Nurse Practitioner Practice in Family Health Teams in Ontario, Canada. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 19(3-4), 72–81.

Gaines, K. (2019, October 11). You Should Join a Nursing Organization. Here’s Why. Nurse.org.

 

Learning Resources
Required Readings

Cherry, B., Caramanica, L, Everett, L. Q., Fennimore, L., & Elaine, S. (2019). Leveraging the
power of board leadership in professional nursing organizations. JONA: The Journal of Nursing
Administration, 49(11), 517-519.

Echevarria, I. M. (2018). Make connections by joining a professional nursing organization.
Nursing, 48(12), 35–38.

Quinn-Szcesuil, J. (2016). Why you should join a nursing association. Retrieved from

Truant, R., & Chan, R. J. (2017). Future ready: Strengthening oncology nursing leadership in the
context of professional oncology nursing organizations. Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal,
27(1), 2-4.

Walden University. (n.d.). Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Retrieved October 12, 2018,
from https://www.waldenu.edu/masters/master-of-science-in-nursing

Document: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template (Word document)

Choose among the following to review your specialization’s Scope and Standards of
Practice or Competencies:

American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice
(2nd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: Author.

Nursing Informatics

E-book: Nursing Informatics: Scope and Standards of Practice

 “The Scope of Nursing Informatics Practice: Functional Areas of Nursing
Informatics” (pp. 18–3

Nursing Education
Website: Competencies for the Academic Nurse Educator
National League for Nursing. (2019). Nurse educator core competency. Retrieved from
http://www.nln.org/professional-development-programs/competencies-for-nursing-
education/nurse-educator-core-competency
Note: The competencies for the Academic Nurse Educator do not encompass the competencies
or scope and standards of practice for the Nursing Professional Developer. The set of
competencies associated with that specific role within the Nurse Education specialization will be
examined in future competencies throughout your specialization program of study.

Nurse Executive
Website: Nurse Executive Competencies
American Organization for Nursing Leadership. (2015). AONL Nurse Executive competencies.
Retrieved from https://www.aonl.org/resources/nurse-leader-competencies

Public Health Nursing
Website: Public Health Nurse Competencies
Quad Council Coalition. (2018). Community/Public Health Nursing [C/PHN] competencies.
Retrieved from http://www.quadcouncilphn.org/documents-3/2018-qcc-competencies/

American Nurses Association. (2013). Public health nursing: Scope and standards of practice
(2nd ed.) Silver Spring, MD: Author.

Public Health Nursing
E-book: Public Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice

Optional Resources

Walden University. (n.d.). Subject Research: Nursing. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/subject/nursing

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Part 1: Writing Sample: The Connection Between Academic and Professional Integrity Using the Academic and Professional Success Development Template you began, write a 2-3 paragraph analysis that includes the following: ·   Explanation for the relationship between academic integrity and writing. ·   Explanation for the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics. ·   Cite at least 2 resources that support your arguments, being sure to use proper APA formatting. ·   Use Grammarly and SafeAssign to improve the product. ·   Explain how Grammarly, SafeAssign, and paraphrasing contributes to academic integrity.	Points Range: 32 (32%) – 35 (35%) The response clearly and accurately describes in detail the relationship between academic integrity and writing. The response clearly and accurately describes in detail the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics. The response accurately cites at least two resources that fully support the arguments explained. The response clearly and accurately describes in detail how Grammarly, SafeAssign, and paraphrasing contributes to academic integrity, including sufficient evidence that Grammarly and SafeAssign were used to improve the responses provided.	Points Range: 28 (28%) – 31 (31%) The response partially describes the relationship between academic integrity and writing. The response partially describes the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics. The response partially cites at least two resources that partially support the arguments explained. The response partially describes how Grammarly, SafeAssign, and paraphrasing contributes to academic integrity, including some evidence that Grammarly and SafeAssign were used to improve the responses provided.	Points Range: 25 (25%) – 27 (27%) The response vaguely describes the relationship between academic integrity and writing. The response vaguely describesthe relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics. The response vaguely or inaccurately cites at least two resources that vaguely support the arguments explained. The response vaguely or inaccurately describes how Grammarly, SafeAssign, and paraphrasing contributes to academic integrity, including vague evidence that Grammarly and SafeAssign were used to improve the responses provided.	Points Range: 0 (0%) – 24 (24%) The response describing the relationship between academic integrity and writing is vague and inaccurate, or is missing. The response describing the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics is vague and inaccurate, or is missing. The response inaccurately cites at least two resources that inaccurately support the arguments explained, or is missing. The response vaguely and inaccurately describes how Grammarly, SafeAssign, and paraphrasing contributes to academic integrity, including no evidence that Grammarly and SafeAssign were used to improve the responses provided.
Part 2: Strategies for Maintaining Integrity of Work Expand on your thoughts from Part 1 by: ·   Identifying and describing strategies you intend to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of your 1) academic work while a student of the MSN program, and 2) professional work as a nurse throughout your career. Include a review of resources and approaches you propose to use as a student and a professional.	Points Range: 45 (45%) – 50 (50%) The response clearly identifies and accurately describes in detail strategies intended to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of academic work while in the MSN program and in professional work as a nurse. The response clearly reviews and accurately proposes in detail resources and approaches to use as a student and professional.	Points Range: 40 (40%) – 44 (44%) The response partially identifies and describes strategies intended to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of academic work while in the MSN program and in professional work as a nurse. The response partially reviews and proposes resources and approaches to use as a student and professional.	Points Range: 35 (35%) – 39 (39%) The response vaguely identifies and describes strategies intended to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of academic work while in the MSN program and in professional work as a nurse. The response inaccurately reviews and vaguely proposes resources and approaches to use as a student and professional.	Points Range: 0 (0%) – 34 (34%) The response vaguely and inaccurately identifies and describes strategies intended to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of academic work while in the MSN program and in professional work as a nurse, or is missing. The response vaguely and inaccurately reviews and vaguely proposes resources and approaches to use as a student and professional, or is missing.
Written Expression and Formatting – Paragraph Development and Organization: Paragraphs make clear points that support well developed ideas, flow logically, and demonstrate continuity of ideas. Sentences are carefully focused–neither long and rambling nor short and lacking substance. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement and introduction is provided which delineates all required criteria.	Points Range: 5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement, introduction, and conclusion is provided which delineates all required criteria.	Points Range: 4 (4%) – 4 (4%) Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity 80% of the time. Purpose, introduction, and conclusion of the assignment is stated, yet is brief and not descriptive.	Points Range: 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%) Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity 60%- 79% of the time. Purpose, introduction, and conclusion of the assignment is vague or off topic.	Points Range: 0 (0%) – 3 (3%) Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity < 60% of the time. No purpose statement, introduction, or conclusion was provided.
Written Expression and Formatting – English writing standards: Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation	Points Range: 5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation with no errors.	Points Range: 4 (4%) – 4 (4%) Contains a few (1-2) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.	Points Range: 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%) Contains several (3-4) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.	Points Range: 0 (0%) – 3 (3%) Contains many (≥ 5) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors that interfere with the reader’s understanding.
Written Expression and Formatting – The paper follows correct APA format for title page, headings, font, spacing, margins, indentations, page numbers, running head, parenthetical/in-text citations, and reference list.	Points Range: 5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Uses correct APA format with no errors.	Points Range: 4 (4%) – 4 (4%) Contains a few (1-2) APA format errors.	Points Range: 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%) Contains several (3-4) APA format errors.	Points Range: 0 (0%) – 3 (3%) Contains many (≥ 5) APA format errors.