Assignment 2: National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Competencies
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) has determined core competencies that apply to all nurse practitioners, regardless of specialty or patient population focus. NONPF has represented them within nine broad areas of core competence. NONPF created the first set of Nurse Practitioner Competencies in 1990; the most recent updates were incorporated in 2017. This synthesis course has had the overarching objective of preparing you to be able to synthesize knowledge gained throughout the program and be prepared to apply each of the nine core competencies within your selected areas of practice and your representative communities.
The nine areas of competency are:
- Scientific Foundations
- Leadership
- Quality
- Practice Inquiry
- Technology and Information Literacy
- Policy
- Health Delivery System
- Ethics
- Independent Practice
To Prepare
- Review this week’s Learning Resources, focusing on the NONPF Core Competencies Content.
The Assignment
For each of the nine NONPF competencies, write one paragraph explaining how the program has prepared you to meet the competency (for a total of at least nine paragraphs). Then, propose how you plan to engage in social change in your community as a nurse practitioner. Finally, describe 1–2 legislative and/or advocacy activities in which your state nurse practitioner organization(s) are involved. Be specific and provide examples.
Sample Paper
The core competencies apply to all nurse practitioners regardless of medical specialty. That is used in various institutions to design a curriculum to ensure that students gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities to practice as licensed independent practitioners.
The nine broad areas of competency are:
1. Scientific Foundations
It ensures that nurse practitioners graduate with a comprehensive background in medical sciences. Nurse practitioner students are required to take foundational pathophysiology and pharmacology depending on specialty. scientific core competency also involves knowledge and understanding of clinical practice guidelines, evidence-based practice, translation research, and treatment of vulnerable and diverse patient populations. Through scientific foundation skills, I would engage in more research through evidence-based practices so as to come up with solutions that are culturally accepted and competent to increase the quality of care at the community level.
2. Leadership
This focuses on professional advocacy, and scholarship, which ensures that nurse practitioner students understand their scope and standards of practice and are prepared to lead various health teams. On the other hand, it may also involve cultural diversity and communication skills. Through leadership skills, I would be able to carry out community health programs effectively with the necessary skills such as effective communication, decision-making skills, and problem-solving capabilities so as to improve the health stats of the community.
3. Quality
Refers to the degree to which health services increase the desired health outcomes consistent with professional knowledge and standards. Nurses must be able to apply their skills and knowledge gained in their profession so as to provide quality patient care and service delivery with reduced harm and errors. Quality competencies focus on understanding how to access and use information databases and how to critically evaluate research findings. I would be able to apply these skills to improve the quality of care with the necessary skills and knowledge in the community to improve health status and outcome.
4. Practice Inquiry
This focuses more on translation research whereby nurse practitioners should be able to take academic research and apply it to the clinical setting. This helps to ensure that nurse practitioners are able to understand how to apply research to improve their patient health outcomes. Socially at the community level, I will apply this in more field research to identify various problems in the community so as to find the best solution to improve care.
5. Technology and Information Literacy
Refers to the use of digital technology, communication tools, network access, manage, integrate, evaluate and create effective communication during service delivery. Nurse practitioners should be able to use available technology to enhance the safety and health outcome of their patients. The nurses should apply this to help patients and caregivers understand conditions and treatments, Motivates patients and caregivers to make positive changes, and Excels at complex decision-making. This skill can be applied in the community by using various technological techniques to educate the community, this may involve the use of various social media platform to educate the community on the health behaviors and lifestyle as preventive measures to improve health status and outcome.
6. Policy
These are decisions pertaining to health which influence health resources allocation at the organization level, local, state, national, and global level. Nurse apply this to influence legislation to improve health issues and social problems like poverty, literacy, and violence so as to help the population against such problems. Students may take required health care policy so as to apply interdependence of clinical practice policy, promote ethical approaches towards health, and assist in creating more health policies. This can be used by nurses as an advocacy technique to empower people in the community on their rights of care by providing them with the right information.
7. Health Delivery System
Is the planning, development, and implementation of public and community health programs. Nurse practitioners apply this in creating reforms and organizational decision-making to improve healthcare outcomes, develop culturally competent care, Analyzes the impact of the healthcare system on all stakeholders. In addition, it helps nurses to thinks critically about organizational structures and resource allocation. Nurses can apply the health delivery system by designing and carrying out health implementation at the community level after an assessment to identify various gaps so as to offer appropriate health care.
8. Ethics
Encompasses understanding the ethical implications of scientific advances and learning to negotiate ethical dilemma specific to that nurse-patient population. It helps the nurse practitioners in Decision making, analyze the impact of all decisions, and understand ethical complexities in health care delivery to individuals. Through ethical skills, nurses are able to handle community health dilemmas without hesitation. They are also able to offer care within the guidelines and offer quality care through decision making. this may involve activities such as keeping the community information private and confidential.
9. Independent Practice
This ensures that a nurse practitioner can function as a licensed independent practitioner with a recognized scientific knowledge base who is permitted by law to provide care and services without direction or even supervision. This encompasses the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of patients within the student population focus. Nurse are therefore able to work professionally under the highest level of accountability and Manages both diagnosed and undiagnosed patients as independent practitioners. At the community level, nurses should be able to offer high-quality care as an independent health care provider through critical thinking since some decisions do not even need clinical interventions. Nurses should be able to understand the needs of the patients through cultural perspective and offer care that is culturally accepted and competent so as to ensure safety and improved quality outcomes.
Nurse’s competencies have been used broadly to the community level, where nurses are able to apply these techniques at all levels in improving community health status. They have helped in improving care services and ensured that nurses possess the right knowledge, skills, and enough experience in offering quality services and care to improve patient outcomes.
