In the enormous and all-encompassing Texas healthcare setting, advanced practice nurses, which include a multitude of specialized positions, including certified nurse midwives (CNMs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), nurse practitioners (NPs) and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), work in compliance with requirements set by The Texas Nursing Board (Fil et al., 2021). As such, this board effectively becomes a comprehensive compass, indicating the responsibilities and professional fields these practitioners can perform. The scope of practice for APNs in Texas encompasses a wide range of critical activities intended to provide patient-centered treatment. For example, the duties of an advanced practice nurse in Texas include diagnosis and treating various medical complications to ensure beneficiaries receive tailor-made patient care (Fil et al., 2021). They also are allowed to prescribe medications but only within the limits that their specific educational background and experience dictate.
Moreover, APNs in Texas can order and analyze diagnostic studies, so obtaining patients’ overall outlook on health is easier. Aside from that, these professionals are crucial in initiating and leading treatment programs that render diverse services, starting with identification up to interception (Fil et al., 2021). They believe that patient education and counseling are critical to their practice as patients and their families receive the information and necessary tools for effective involvement in healthcare decision-making (Fil et al., 2021). However, given the scope of its functioning, the nursing profession is an evolving field. For the nurse practitioners in Texas, serious debate has been on whether to apply an extensive practice scope (Fil et al., 2021). This shows that the state recognizes advanced practice nurses as an integral part of knowledge-based healthcare and a driving force influencing change in modern medicine.
Like most other states, the Board of Nursing in Florida sets the professional boundaries and responsibilities of advanced practice nurses within dynamic healthcare markets. The advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) scope of practice in Florida is similar to that observed in Texas. In Florida, Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) have legal empowerment to detect and manage medical complications on a big scale, order and interpret diagnostics on request for advanced examination testing procedures about healing drugs within their scope of pick attachment therapy sessions as well and perform vitally significant issues into patients’ education or counseling (Smith, 2022).
Florida recognizes its healthcare practices as dynamic operations with diverse procedures requiring routine changes, similar to the regulation of Texas. This recognition emphasizes the importance of staying abreast of any changes or additional provisions included in the description of the APRN scope of practice in Florida (Smith, 2022).
In conclusion, while the scope of practice for advanced practice nurses in Texas and Florida may be common or shared, it should also be noted that there are different types of nurse practitioners within each state whose specializations vary so much. Therefore, differences might arise due to the specific expertise and roles connected with Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and Certified Nurse Midwives.
Fil, S. L., Champion, J. D., & Christiansen, B. (2021). Perceptions of disaster management knowledge and skills among advanced practice registered nurses. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 33(7), 514-520. DOI:10.1097/JXX.0000000000000382