APN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2

APN Professional Development Plan

When a nurse is planning to transition from a registered nurse to an Advanced Practice
Nurse (APN) it is important that they develop a professional development plan (PDP). Such a
plan will ensure that the transitioning is smooth by laying out the requirements needed for them
to practice as APNs in a given geographical location and the competencies that they need to
possess (Meretoja, Lindfors, & Kotila, 2019). This paper is a professional development plan for a
nurse that wants to practice in the state of Alabama. It includes the educational and licencing
requirements for APN practice in the state as well as professional attributes that a nurse needs to
have in order to effectively perform in their role as an APN.
APN Scope of Practice

In the U.S. the scope and practice of APNs is not determined by the federal government.
Instead, states perform this function. Thus, every state has their own LACE guidelines. LACE
stands for licensure, accreditation, certification, and education. For an APN to practice, they
must meet the LACE requirements of the state that they want to practice in (American
Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), 2019).
In the state of Alabama, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner applicant must have a registered
nurse licence in Alabama. If they have one but from a different state, they need to apply for a
registered nurse licence in Alabama through endorsement. Secondly, they must have a masters
degree that corresponds to the APN speciality that they intend to practice in the state. Lastly,
they should have national certification in an APN speciality (National Conference of State
Legislatures (NCSL), 2019).
In general, there are three APN practice categories. These are full, reduced, and restricted
practice (AANP, 2019). Full practice means that the nurse can examine and evaluate patients,

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offer diagnosis, and establish and manage the patient’s treatment plan. They can also carry out
diagnostic testing and prescribe patient medications (AANP, 2019). According to the
requirements of American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), full practice nurses can
only work under the authority of the board of nursing of the state that they practice in (AANP,
2019). For reduced nurse practice, the APN is prevented from performing some of the roles that
a full practice can perform (AANP, 2019). The American Association of Nurse Practitioners
requires that reduced practice APNs only practice after getting an agreement of collaboration
with a healthcare provider (AANP, 2019). As for restricted practice, the APN is not only
restricted from performing some of the functions that a full practice nurse does but is also
required to work under the supervision of another healthcare professional (AANP, 2019). In
most instances, this professional is usually a physician. The supervisor could also be a team of
various health professionals. Thus, of the three APN practices, restricted practice has the least
autonomy while full practice APNs enjoy the most autonomy.
Alabama is a reduced practice state (National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL),
2019). This means that an APN cannot perform functions of one or more of NP practice
elements. For them to practice this element(s) they must have a state-regulated collaborative
agreement with another healthcare provider. The collaborative agreement has to be approved by
the state’s Board of Medical Examiners and Board of Nursing (NCSL, 2019). It includes, among
other things, quality assurance methods and practice site provision (NCSL, 2019). Without the
collaborative agreement they cannot practice the element or elements that they are restricted
from undertaking.

Nurse Practitioner (NONPF) Core Competencies

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There are certain competencies that a nurse practitioner is supposed to know before they
begin practicing. The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) lists and
defines these competencies. The competencies apply to all APN specialities. These competencies
are scientific foundations, technology and information literacy, leadership, independent practice,
ethics, health delivery system, quality and policy (NONPF, 2019).
Of these competencies, the two areas where I am strong at are scientific foundation
competencies and practice inquiry competencies. Regarding scientific foundation competencies I
have strong knowledge of guidelines of clinical practice. I am also well-versed with translational
research, evidence-based practice, and treatment of populations from diverse backgrounds
including vulnerable populations.
I take a lot of time studying various scientific research findings and health data. I
critically think about the data and find ways of applying the read evidence in my practice with
the goal of improving healthcare outcomes. It is not just healthcare knowledge that I read. I also
look out for interesting findings from other disciplines such as humanities because I use multiple
disciplines to guide my nursing practice. Regardless of the source of my knowledge, I make sure
that I incorporate the research findings in my practice. Sometimes I develop my own approaches
to enhance quality of my practice. For safety of my patients, I make sure that all the new
techniques and approaches that I develop are backed by credible research findings and sound
scientific theories.
Another area of competence that I am strong at is independent practice competencies.
Over the years, I have developed considerable healthcare knowledge base and skills that allow
me to work autonomously without any supervision. These skills include patient assessment and
review, and patient diagnosis as well as their treatment. In general, I can effectively manage both

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undiagnosed and diagnosed patients without the need for assistance from any quarter. When
working, I do not need guidance from other nurses or physicians in order to deliver high quality
services. In addition, my operations are professional and I observe the highest possible
accountability standards.
One of my weak areas that needs improvement is health delivery system competency.
This competency requires nurse practitioners to plan and implement health programs that have a
positive impact on the health of the community and the general public (NONPF, 2019). It also
requires them to analyze and establish problems in healthcare systems, areas that need to be
improved on, and advocate for reforms at an organizational, state or national level (NONPF,
2019). While I am relatively good at some of the elements under this competency, I am not very
good at many of them. For instance, I rarely take time to think how the structures of the
organizations that I work for impact the quality of healthcare services that patients are able to
receive at the organization. Additionally, I am not used to discussing healthcare systems and
comparing the systems of different countries or states. Even though I know that I am supposed to
have interest in such matters and be proactive in presenting suggestions to various stakeholders
on how to improve the healthcare system, I often feel that such work is other people’s
responsibility, not mine. I limit my work to only what I do on a daily basis.
I am also weak on policy competencies. These competencies require nurses to understand
how decisions made by various stakeholders affect the resources that are available support of
provision of healthcare services (NONPF, 2019). These stakeholders may be the decision-makers
at the organization that the nurse works for. They could also be at the state, federal, or world
level. Nurses are supposed not just to know how decisions affecting healthcare resource
allocation are made but also how to influence resource allocation through various policies and

APN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 6
legislations with the goal of improving health of the general public or particular population group
as well as other issues that are determinants of health such as literacy and poverty (NONPF,
2019). Some of the elements under policy competencies that I am not good at include
understanding inter-disciplinary impact of various policies, understanding how phenomena such
as globalization affect healthcare, and understanding social and legal contexts of healthcare
policies advanced by various stakeholders.
In my masters program I plan to improve the competency areas that I am weak in.
Regarding policy competencies, I plan to seriously study healthcare economics. Such study will
help me to develop a strong understanding of the policy side of healthcare. From such study I
will appreciate how various policies affecting healthcare are developed, the stakeholders
involved, factors that they consider when developing the policies, and the impact such policies
have on quality of healthcare services that healthcare facilities provide to patients. It will also
help me to have an in-depth understanding of barriers to quality care and how barriers such as
costs can be reduced through proper policies. I also plan to join various advocacy groups so that I
influence policymaking on matters affecting healthcare.
As for my weakness in health delivery systems competencies, I intend to closely analyze
various healthcare delivery systems, their strengths and weaknesses. I will then develop
suggestions on how our healthcare delivery system can be made more effective at providing
patients high quality of care. I will then study ways in which the suggestions can be turned into a
comprehensive plan that can be sold to various healthcare stakeholders so that it gets as much
buy-in as possible.

Leadership Skills

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Nurses are also leaders in the field of healthcare. Some of the most valued leadership
skills that nurses need to develop include communication skills, advocacy skills, and teamwork.
These leadership skills help nurses to identify healthcare areas that need to be improved and
develop strategies to improve them. They also help nurses to provide quality care to patients by
effectively leading teams that they are part.
As leaders, nurses cannot work alone. They work with healthcare teams that comprise of
other healthcare professionals. They also need to work with patients and community leaders in
order to develop culturally sensitive and quality care (Meretoja, Lindfors & Kotila, 2019). If they
find areas that need to be improved in the healthcare system, they cannot develop a solution
alone. They need to liaise with other healthcare professionals, patients, and other stakeholders.
To effectively advocate for the policies that they recommend they need to be great
communicators. Since they will need to write as well as speak, it is important that nurses develop
both oral and written communication skills.

To develop communication skills, intend to start writing at least five hundred words
everyday. This practice will help me to develop writing skills. As for verbal skills, I intend to
join speaking clubs that will allow me to develop effective public speaking. Such clubs will also
help me reduce my public speaking shyness. As for advocacy skills, I intend to join advocacy
groups and professional associations in the healthcare field. By involving myself in their
activities, I will be able to learn a lot about healthcare advocacy.

Conclusion

Nurses play one of the most important roles in healthcare services provision.
Transitioning from a registered nurse to an APN allows nurses to play an even bigger role as

APN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 8
they will be able to provide services that they would not ordinarily provide as registered nurses.
This paper has looked at the requirements for becoming an APN in the state of Alabama. It has
also analyzed my personal and professional competencies that determine whether I can be an
effective APN. On the whole, I possess many of the competencies that are required to effectively
perform the roles of an APN. The few competencies that I do not possess I have presented
strategies that I intend to employ in order to improve them.

APN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 9

References

American Association of Nurse Practitioners (2019). State Practice Environment. Retrieved on
23 rd September, 2019 from https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/state/state-practice-
environment
Meretoja, R., Lindfors, K., & Kotila, J. (2019). Professional Practice Competence Framework for
the Nurse Leader. In Leadership in Nursing: Experiences from the European Nordic
Countries (pp. 115-127). Springer, Cham.
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) (2019). Alabama Scope of Practice Policy:
State Profile. Retrieved on 23 rd September 2019 from
http://scopeofpracticepolicy.org/states/al/
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) (2019). NP Competencies and
the NTF. Retrieved on 23 rd September 2019 from https://www.nonpf.org