Practicum Journal
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Practicum Journal
Practice Agreements for PMHNPs in Maryland
Maryland State is one of the 21 states in America that allows healthcare workers to practice independently from their physicians. According to the full practice authority act, PMHND collaboration is essential to boost the quality of patient outcomes (Martin et al., 2020). In Maryland State, PMHNP is allowed to prescribe medications without the supervision of a physician. Another role is to prescribe schedule ii-v drugs without supervision. Maryland State allows NPs to provide advanced medical care for patients (Martin et al., 2020). The state required NPs to attain post-graduate training and experience in a recognized healthcare facility. The requirements provide NPs an opportunity to diagnose, treat, and prescribe drugs for simple and complex health conditions (Martin et al., 2020). The practice agreements are vital in streamlining the healthcare services, empowering NPs, and broadening the service provision.
Physician Collaboration Issues
NPs are allowed to work independently, but they must establish collaborative agreements with physicians. The collaborative agreement focuses on ensuring physicians can monitor the provision of care in independent healthcare services (Phoenix & Chapman, 2020). The monitoring should take place at least after 18 months. Collaborative agreements limit the tasks that PMHNDPs carry out. The limitations undermine the independence of the NPs and undermine the delivery of quality care (Phoenix & Chapman, 2020). The collaborative agreements lead to a lack of complete independence of the nurses. The limitation undermines access to healthcare services despite the rise in the number of people seeking quality, efficient, and safe care (Phoenix & Chapman, 2020). The second issue is that the binding agreements undermine access to healthcare services in rural areas. Patients in rural areas require quality and timely care, which the PMHNPs can provide.
Barriers to PMHNPs Practicing Independently
One of the barriers affecting the PMHNPs is inter-professional bias. Professionals in the healthcare sector undermine NPs by arguing they are not qualified. The view that NPs are only for bedside care undermines their ability to fix the gaps existing in the healthcare sector (Martin et al., 2020). Another significant issue is the insurance billing restrictions. NPs receive lower compensation rates as compared to when physicians carry out similar duties. The salary differences discourage more NPs from practicing independently (Phoenix & Chapman, 2020). Another challenge is that people perceive nurses to have little experience and knowledge in the provision of care. For example, NPs have little knowledge to diagnose health conditions and prescribe medications (Phoenix & Chapman, 2020). The issue is whether NPs can safely prescribe medication to patients without undermining their healthcare condition.
Addressing PMHNP Practice Issues
It is vital to address the healthcare barriers that undermine the professional practice of NPs (Martin et al., 2020). One of the strategies of addressing the challenges is to carry out media campaigns to educate the public and the healthcare stakeholders about the role of NPs. The campaigns will create awareness of the skills of the NPs. The media campaigns will trigger a change in perception. For example, when the public change their perception, they will easily embrace the healthcare services from the NPs. Another strategy is to create training and discussion forums among the healthcare workers. For instance, training will be necessary among the physicians to ensure their collaborative relationships are friendly and professional (Phoenix & Chapman, 2020). The discussion forums will help the NPs to express themselves. The training will indicate the vital role of the NPs in meeting the deficits of the current healthcare system. Training the stakeholders and management of the healthcare facilities will ensure leadership support for independent training.
References
Martin, B., Phoenix, B. J., & Chapman, S. A. (2020). How collaborative practice agreements impede the provision of vital behavioral health services. Nursing Outlook, 68(5), 581-590.
Phoenix, B. J., & Chapman, S. A. (2020). Effect of state regulatory environments on advanced psychiatric nursing practice. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 34(5), 370-376.
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