Nursing Roles Graphic Organizer

Chart Notes:

NUR 531 Week 2 Assignment

Nursing Roles Graphic Organizer 

Ethics: 

Ethics for RN Educator: 

Professionalism, Justice, Equality, Fidelity, Non-Maleficence,  

Ethics for NP: 

Professionalism, Justice, Equality, Fidelity, Non-Maleficence, to provide and advocate for safe and quality of care for all patients and communities 

Similarities and Differences: 

Different: NP’s can be primary care providers or specialize in certain areas, such as gerontology, emergency medicine (APCCRN), and so on 

Nurse educators can still remain at the bedside performing patient care to retain skills 

Similarities:  

Common goal to continue to administer high quality of care to patients, render care that benefits the patient and returns them to their baseline, if possible 

Nurse practitioners and nurse administrators have a lot in common. They are both registered nurses; they may hold similar degrees, and, ultimately, they each want better health outcomes. The critical difference, however, is in specialization. Nurse practitioners focus on the health of their patients, and nurse educators focus on their medical facilities staff. 

EDUCATION: 

Nurse Educator: Master’s degree or higher, If focused on a specialty, obtaining a certification in said area, called a Post Masters Certification, in addition to education degree 

NP: Master’s degree or higher, such as a Doctorate degree. Graduate students typically hold a BSN when entering school, unless the school offers a bridge program 

SIMILARITIES/DIFFERENCES: 

Similarities: 

Master’s Degree at a minimum 

Differences:  Doctoral Degree for NP, Certification for RN Educator for a specialty 

LEADERSHIP: 

RN Educator: Pivotal role in strengthening the RN workforce, expanding nurse’s knowledge base and skill set, Role model, Leadership to implement new evidence-based practice, responsible for designing implementing, evaluating and revising academic and continuing education programs for nurses 

NP:  

Decision making, for NP, decision making requires good critical thinking skills 

Delegation of responsibilities such as medication administration, resolving conflict, to act with integrity, be mentored (as NP’s work under a physician, don’t be afraid to ask questions), Strive for balance. 

Similarities and Differences: 

Similarities:  

Registered nurses working in advanced practice nursing (APN) roles have completed graduate education, have an expert level of knowledge and complex decision‐making skills and clinical competencies for expanded practice specific to the context in which they are credentialed to work 

Leadership is an internationally accepted generic feature of APN. Advanced practice nurses are expected to demonstrate leadership competencies at an advanced level in their roles 

Differences: 

Educators are looked at as the leader for any new evidenced-based practice that needs to be implemented properly.  

NP’s are looked at as an MD. Nurses look to them to know what to do next, how to treat the patient according to the presenting signs and symptoms.  Not all disease processes can be treated the same. Nurses look to NP’s to answer their questions. 

PUBLIC HEALTH: 

RN Educator: 

Involved in the prevention, education, advocacy, activism, assessment and evaluation of the public’s health. Can play a vital role in the prevention of the disease process and help to promote health and safety. It’s all about education. 

NP:  

Public health nurse practitioners address the health needs of their communities through wellness clinics, home visits, and developing relationships that can help to stop serious health problems before they start, exacting positive change in the lives of patients and communities 

Similarities and Differences: 

Similarities: Both the RN educator and the NP address the health of the community 

The differences are that the RN educator helps them learn how to manage, prevent and/or promote health, whereas the NP offers treatment options that help and can create a positive change.  

Healthcare Administration: 

RN Educator: 

Nurse educators serve an important function within the hospital system. Nurse educators assist nursing staff in developing and maintaining their competencies (CPR, BLS, ACLS, PALS, etc.), advance their professional nursing practice and help to facilitate their achievement of academic success and career goals. Depending on the facility and what incentives are offered, RN educators can help with a clinical ladder, where it provides incentives for the nurse to become more involved with the facility. 

NP: 

Nurse practitioners are APRN’s who can advance to an administration level and act as a healthcare executive, manage an APRN team, become part of the hospitalist team, admitting patients and providing follow up care, in addition to providing primary and specialty care. 

Similarities and Differences: 

Both the RN Educator and NP would play a vital role in education in healthcare administration.  

The only difference would be that the RN Educator would focus on the nursing staff and the NP would focus on everything from colleagues, to nurses, to patients and their families.  

INFORMATICS: 

RN Educator:  

An Educator assists the nursing informatics officer with the implementation and training of staff for any new programs that pertain to patient data.  It is essential that the staff know how to use the new charting system and how to implement down time measures as to not interfere with patient care. IT is an important communication tool. 

NP: 

The NP uses the informatics system to input orders, it is a communication tool between providers and nurses for the benefit of the patient.  Providers such as NP, can access this system to prescribe new medications that will assist the patient a number of areas including pain management, disease process and prevention of advancement of pre-existing conditions. 

Similarities and Differences: 

Similarities are the way that both RN educators and NP’s use the informatics system as a communication tool. 

Differences include how it is utilized. For one profession it is a patient data collection program for the other it is a way to communicate what new orders that need implementation 

Business/Finance: 

RN Educator: 

When functioning in an administrative role it is important to understand the economics behind healthcare. Healthcare can be complex and leaders should have the clinical experience and business/financial savvy to function and manage accompanying business and economic challenges. For example, the increase in Septic patients, the RN educator needs to step in and help to develop a system that can benefit the facility and the patient financially, what’s most cost effective.  The RN Educator can look at evidence-based practice to help determine what works best. 

NP: 

Need to understand the intricacies of how insurances work, what procedures are necessary, what procedures will be covered, the different types of healthcare insurances (managed care, PPO, HMO, EPO) and reimbursement. They need to understand the changes that directly affected healthcare through the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Education never stops in healthcare. 

Similarities and Differences: 

Similarities: 

Understanding how the healthcare system in relation to insurance functions and what is cost effective. What implementations will benefit the patient and the facility. 

Differences are that the NP needs to have a deeper understanding of what procedures are covered, what procedures are considered in patient and out-patient, medications, referral processes, specialty areas of treatment, etc. 

Specialty (e.g., Family, Acute Care): 

RN Educator: 

Most time nurse educators teach clinical courses that correspond with their area of clinical expertise, such as emergency room, cardiac cath lab, med surg, ICU etc. These areas are considered a specialty area through personal experience or personal study.  The true specialty of a nurse educator is teaching with the use of their expertise, outcomes and assessments. It is developing a curriculum that will guide the student/learner. 

NP: 

NP’s have a greater responsibility where they chose to work, they can collaborate on patient care and treatment with a physician or other healthcare professionals.  They are also trained in specialty areas. NP/APRNs can specialize in clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners. Other specialties include Adult care, Gerontology, Neonatal, Pediatric, Psych, Emergency Room, Family Nurse Practitioner (all age ranges), and Womens health. Proper accreditation is required and can be gained through a valid APRN program with passage of boards.  Responsibilities vary by state law, but can include diagnosing acute and chronic healthcare problems along with treatment and prescribing medications and performing physical exams. In some cases, NP’s or APRNs need to continue taking education courses to keep their skills up to date. 

Similarities and Differences: 

Being able to utilized their clinical expertise in the chosen specialty area 

Differences not only range from education, but continued education that pertains to their specialty and their primary nursing licensure. Accreditation achieved from passing APRN boards, increased responsibilities within the healthcare field. 

Regulatory Bodies or Certification Agencies that provide guidance or parameters on how these roles incorporate concepts into practice: 

RN Educator: 

In addition to the Board of Nursing, for RN educators there is a National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) which granted the National League of Nursing (NLN) for Certification of Nurse Educators (CNE) program accreditation.  The NCCA is the accrediting body of the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA). For academic nurse education as a specialty area of practice, it creates a means for faculty to establish and demonstrate their expertise in said area. States that the highest standards are being met. Certification is the mark of distinction for nursing faculty. 

NP: 

State practice and licensure laws permit all NPs to evaluate patients; diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests; and initiate and manage treatments, including prescribing medications and controlled substances, under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing. 

Similarities and Differences: 

Similar in the fact that each one has to have a governing or regulatory body in order to practice in the healthcare field.  

Different in the fact that each one has a different governing or regulatory body that oversees their licensure/certifications.  

References:

National League of Nursing, Certification for Nurse Educators, Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/Certification-for-Nurse-Educators 

University of Saint Mary, Nurse Educator or Nurse Practitioner, Choose Your Path, Retrieved from https://online.stmary.edu/msn/resources/nurse-educator-or-nurse-practitioner 

AANP-American Association of Nurse Practitioners, State Practice Environment, Retrieved from https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/state/state-practice-environment 

Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow, Nurse Educator. Retrieved from https://www.nursesource.org/nurse_educator.html 

AANP-American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Going Beyond the HER-Health Care Informatics. Retrieved from https://www.aanp.org/news-feed/going-beyond-the-ehr-health-care-informatics