Reference no: EM133804387

Question

The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act made healthcare more affordable, thus giving Americans more access to healthcare (Peikes et al., 2020). Unfortunately, the workforce of primary care providers has not increased to meet these demands. While healthcare reform intends to provide all Americans with insurance coverage, the potential consequences are unlike any we have ever faced as a country. This reformation has produced a significant influx of individuals who require care and adds to the previous volume of patients who need to be seen. This surge of prospective patients could potentially put a strain on providers and other professionals by overwhelming them with too many patients. It is predicted that within the next decade, there will be a substantial physician shortage (Zhang et al., 2020). In correlation, it would be providers experiencing an increased volume of business and the facilities as a whole, like the medical practices and clinics. This shortage of healthcare is one of the biggest anticipated drawbacks to introducing this large number of people. According to one source, 19,400 physicians will be needed nationally by 2026 (Zhang et al., 2020). "Due to aging, population growth, and a greater insured population following the Affordable Care Act (ACA), physician availability to patients has been recognized as one of the top barriers to meeting the healthcare needs of patients in the United States of America." (Zhang et al., 2020). Therefore, it is imperative to increase the number of providers, professionals, facilities, equipment, and resources to be able to successfully and efficiently employ preventative health promotions and manage care. To combat the shortage issue, Nurse Practitioners (NP) practicing with full scope of practice could help meet the increasing need for patient access to primary care (Zwilling et al., 2021). The ACA allowed for an acceleration of states to pass full practice authority (FPA) legislation, which some states have (Zwilling et al., 2021). Although all of this has occurred, there are twenty-seven states with restricted practice status, thus not allowing NPs to practice to their full capability (Zwilling et al., 2021). Allowing APRNs to have a full scope of practice would also impact patients in rural or underserved areas with a shortage of primary care providers and challenges for access to care. To aid in the push for FPA in all fifty states, NPs must advocate effectively and be engaged. This can be accomplished by joining professional organizations, education, and building relationships within the NP community. Additionally, lobbying and actively participating in campaigns will push for change at the legislative level. Moreover, joining advisory committees, participating in research, and mentoring will contribute to policy development in hopes that restricted practices will be overturned.