Defining the nurse practitioner in New Zealand.I WOULD like to thank Tom Pantano writing in the December/January 2003/ 2004 Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. ("Loss of NP title causes demoralisation Noun 1. demoralisation - a state of disorder and confusion; "his inconsistency resulted in the demoralization of his staff" demoralization confusion - disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably; "the army retreated in confusion" 2. ", p20) for giving voice to my frustrations over the status and definition of nurse practitioners (NPs) in New Zealand. Like Pantano, I am an NP from the United States (US) living in New Zealand. I followed a similar educational path to him and was certified as an Adult NP in 1987. I have been in clinical practice as an NP for 20 years and have a wealth of experience in primary care, working in both rural and urban communities with low income and minority populations. When I first read about the Government's primary health care strategy, I was excited, knowing full well that the NP role fits perfectly with this vision of health care. I completed my portfolio and fully intended to apply to the Nursing Council to be registered here, but after much discussion and frustration, I realise that the NP role, as it was intended to be, is not what New Zealand is looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. . Pantano makes two very important points. Firstly, an advanced degree as an NP is not the same as an advanced nursing qualification. Nurses and NPs have two very different roles that begin with a core foundation of nursing theory and basic nursing skills. That is where the similarities end. The NP role as seen here, is what would be considered a clinical nurse specialist clinical nurse specialist n. A nurse who has advanced knowledge and competence in a particular area of nursing practice, such as in cardiology, oncology, or psychiatry. in the US, a highly skilled nurse with a very different purpose and role than an NP. The approach the Council is taking not only demoralises individuals who have trained as NPs, but devalues the role, along with our efforts and experience. I understand the need to have nurses "prove" they are well qualified if they are to be given the NP title. However, I do think those who are NPs can easily be judged on the merits on the merits adj. referring to a judgment, decision or ruling of a court based upon the facts presented in evidence and the law applied to that evidence. A judge decides a case "on the merits" when he/she bases the decision on the fundamental issues and considers of educational background, work history and experience. Secondly, although research and teaching are vitally important to safe and creative practice, being an NP is primarily a clinical role. No NP should be in a research or education position unless they are actively involved in clinical care. I am currently working in a management position, a far cry from the profession I love. Kim Lund, APRN APRN Advanced Practice Registered Nurse , BC, BAN, ANP ANP atrial natriuretic peptide. ANP atrial natriuretic peptide. ANP Atrial natriuretic peptide, see there Wellington |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion