Introduction
The Consensus Model is a framework for guiding states in the United States to streamline advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) roles. Presently, most of the states have managed to adopt portions of this tool in an attempt to empower their practitioners. The paper below discusses how the state of Ohio has adopted the Consensus Model.
Selected State
The selected state for this discussion is that of Ohio. According to its board of nursing website, this state has managed to adopt a number of items outlined in the Consensus Model for APRN regulation. The proponents of this framework anticipate that more APRNs will become empowered and continue to meet the diverse needs of the targeted patients.
Adopted Items
The ultimate objective of the Consensus Model is to address existing inconsistencies in APRN practice, regulation, and education (Madler, Kalanek, & Rising, 2014). This achievement will make it possible for APRNs to offer superior services in different states. The first item that Ohio has adopted from the standards and scope of the Consensus Model is that of nursing education. The state indicates that all registered APRNs should have completed a post-graduate certificate and a graduate degree. This is standardized for these APRN roles: certified nurse practitioner (CNP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), certified nurse-midwife (CNM) and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).
The second item is that of certification. The Ohio Board of Nursing requires that national recertification is needed for verifying APRNs who can work in the state. Such an achievement means that practitioners with a national license can offer their services in Ohio and in the other states across the country (“Ohio Action Coalition,” n.d.). This uniformity will increase the number of patients who have access to exemplary health services.
Area Incongruent with the Consensus Model
Although Ohio has managed to consider and adopt various items outlined in the Consensus Model, there are specific areas that are still incongruent. One of them is that of practice autonomy. According to the proposal, all states should create the best environment for practice and empower APRNs to provide superior services without being supervised (“Ohio Action Coalition,” n.d.). However, CRNAs in Ohio are required to work under the guidance of physicians.
CNPs and CNMs should collaborate with other practitioners and doctors to provide exemplary services to targeted patients. This gap explains why many APRNs are unable to work independently and pursue their professional objectives (Kennedy-Malone, Baker, & Duffy, 2016). Additionally, the quality of services available to many individuals in Ohio remains limited.
Plan of Action
The state of Ohio has implemented an action plan related to the Consensus Model in order to meet the 2015 target date. This is known as the Ohio Coalition Campaign (“Ohio Action Coalition,” n.d.). The pioneer behind this action is the Ohio League for Nursing (OLN). Together with the Ohio Hospital Association, the OLN is focusing on the best approaches to ensure that more APRNs are empowered to meet the state’s health needs. The agency’s activities encouraged the state’s governor to sign a new bill allowing APRNs to work independently and provide medical services to more Ohioans. Currently, the campaign is focusing on new strategies to allow APRNs to prescribe drugs independently.
Conclusion
The above discussion has revealed that Ohio has adopted various items in accordance with the Consensus Model. Some of them revolve around certification and education. Unfortunately, the state is yet to embrace the issue of practice autonomy. The state government should, therefore, continue to support the above action plan in order to record meaningful achievements within the stipulated period.
References
Kennedy-Malone, L., Baker, N. R., & Duffy, E. G. (2016). Moving toward consensus: GAPNA’s role in implementation of the Consensus Model for APRN regulation. Geriatric Nursing, 37(2), 156-158. Web.
Madler, B. J., Kalanek, C. B., & Rising, C. (2014). Gaining independent prescriptive practice: One state’s experience in adoption of the APRN Consensus Model. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 15(3-4), 111-118. Web.
Ohio Action Coalition. (n.d.). Web.