BHA FPX 4003 Assessment 3 Health Care Professionals: Roles and Responsibilities

Roles of Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs) serve as crucial mid-level professionals in the United States healthcare system. They are playing an important role in providing treatment, especially in primary care settings (Salinas & Winn, 2023). Although they could appear to be identical professions, there are some important differences between them, including education, scope of practice, and approaches to direct patient care.

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) with a master’s or PhD in nursing. Their education is focused on the nursing model, which prioritizes comprehensive patient care, health promotion, and illness prevention (Boehning & Punsalan, 2023). NPs frequently specialize in areas such as family practice, pediatrics, or geriatrics, and their education and training reflect these specialized interests.

In contrast, Physician Assistants (PAs) are trained using a medical framework similar to that of physicians, with a primary focus on disease diagnosis and management. PAs get a Master’s degree from an authorized PA educational institution, which covers extensive medical sciences and supervised clinical rotations in a variety of specialties. While NPs frequently select their field of concentration during their education, PAs are presented as generalists and can choose to specialize later in their careers (Jiang et al., 2022).

The scope of practice for Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs) differs greatly between jurisdictions. In certain states, NPs have complete autonomy, including the ability to diagnose, treat, and prescribe drugs on their own (PROQUEST, 2023). However, in places with restricted practice regulations, NPs must be supervised or collaborate with a physician.

On the other hand, PAs are always supervised by a physician, although their level of control varies widely based on the organization’s standards and state legislation. PAs’ scope of practice is frequently similar to that of doctors, however they face greater constraints than NPs. Each state has its own standards and regulations, and supervision requirements for PAs are often more severe than those for NPs (Hu et al., 2024)

Attending Physician’s Responsibility to Manage Patient Care

The attending physician, as the principal medical manager, is responsible for monitoring the whole case and personally directing patient care inside a healthcare institution. As the most actively involved physician in a patient’s care, the attending physician is responsible for assessing medical problems, and planning, and implementing a thorough treatment strategy (Institute of Medicine (US & Gray, 2019). In addition to their own duties, they must coordinate and lead the care delivery team, which may consist of residents, fellows, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, other doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, and social workers.

Their responsibilities include developing and carrying out the patient’s treatment plan, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, prescribing drugs and treatments, and supervising any operations performed on the patient. The attending physician’s role is critical in integrating the contributions of different team members to maintain a consistent and high-quality level of treatment (Bendowska & Baum, 2023).

Attending physicians must also follow basic standards of practice and keep current on medical evidence and developments in order to deliver the best potential outcomes (Engle et al., 2021). They must stay current on medical research and innovations in order to improve patient care as well as provide instruction and guidance to junior medical personnel, enabling continual progress in medical practices inside the healthcare organization.

Conclusion BHA FPX 4003 Assessment 3 Health Care Professionals: Roles and Responsibilities

The assessment highlights the important responsibilities of different healthcare professionals and their contributions to the effective functioning of the US healthcare system. As the complexity of healthcare grows, there is an increasing need for professional healthcare management staff. Clinical roles are developing as a result of the introduction of positions like Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and other mid-level clinicians, which have been pushed by new understanding and changing legislation.

These positions have had a substantial influence on the cost, quality, and accessibility of care as the population grows and ages. The differences between nurse practitioners and physician assistants highlight the variety of the healthcare profession, with each bringing unique talents and approaches to medical treatment. With the adoption of the Affordable