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Allen County Community College APRN Interview Questions

 

Each student will arrange to interview, virtually, an advanced practice nurse (CNS, NP, CRNA, or CNM). Note: You have the option of doing this final paper with one other student, in which case you will need to add a paragraph after the references section that outlines/justifies your participation in the completion of the paper as part of your grading rubric. Use the interview questions listed below as a guide for paper content. Note that the interview questions address objectives listed throughout the four modules of the course. Finally, analyze the information obtained based on clinical practice standards, the laws, and the literature. For each question refer to the BON, certifying boards or peer-reviewed journals to identify and document the appropriate and necessary actions the APRN should take. For instance, analyzing the accuracy and adequacy or the APRN’s job description and explaining the purpose of a job description. Please note that this paper is not supposed to be a transcript of your interview, but that you should use the literature and readings from the course to supplement and analyze components of your interview. For example, the question related to APRNs and policy involvement, if your APRN states she does not have time for being involved in policy involvement, finding some literature out there related to prevalence or challenges of APRN involvement in policy. Please review the rubric for the paper when writing the paper as the analysis piece of it is worth 35 points. The analysis should be brief but thorough.

References should be cited in the analysis and included on the reference list according to APA style.

Questions to Guide the Interview

  1. What nursing licenses does the APRN have and in what APRN role(s) and population foci does the Texas BON authorize this APRN to practice? How long has the APRN been practicing in this APRN role and population focus area? How long has he or she been in their current position?
  2. Where did the APRN obtain his/her post-basic RN training as an APRN? Was the program an accredited certificate program, an accredited Master’s level program or an accredited DNP program? In what ways did the APRN feel, or not feel, prepared to practice when they graduated? Compare the ways in which the APRN did or did not feel competent to the core and population competencies applicable to the APRN’s practice (i.e., NONPF core and population competencies for NPs). What does the APRN wish he or she had known when beginning practice that their educational program did not teach them?
  3. Who is the APRN’s employer? Does the APRN see patients in multiple practice settings? Describe each setting and the APRN’s role in that setting. Describe the collaborative relationship the APRN has with the physicians in his or her practice. What are some of the struggles/challenges and advantages of this relationship?
  4. Who is responsible for making practice decisions in the APRN’s workplace? Is this done by one person or is it a formalized collaborative process?
  5. Does the prescription form meet the legal requirements, or if prescribing electronically, is the APRN able to “sign” the prescriptions and include other required information? Does this APRN prescribe controlled substances? If so, what schedules does the APRN order or prescribe and what steps has the APRN taken to comply with the controlled substances laws?
  6. How are the services provided by the APRN reimbursed—under the APRN’s provider number or under the physician’s? If the APRN’s services are billed under the physician’s provider number, how does the practice ensure their billing is compliant with applicable laws such as Medicare incident to billing guidelines? If billing under the APRN’s provider number, in how many managed care (MC) plans is the APRN a provider? Did the APRN or employer encounter problems during the credentialing process? If the APRN is a primary care provider (PCP), is the APRN identified as a PCP on the MC plans? How does the practice ensure billing is compliant with applicable laws?
  7. How does the APRN keep current regarding the BON rules/regulations for APRNs in the state of Texas, or whatever state they are practicing in? Have they been involved in any performance outcome or quality improvement projects as an APRN? If so, describe their role and involvement in such a project.
  8. How does the APRN get involved in APRN/nursing leadership/policy/legislative activities (i.e., giving money, time)? Do they have an example of any sort of policy initiative they were involved in either at the facility level or hospital level or professional organization level?
  9. Does the APRN use any tools or standards to determine his or her ongoing competence to treat the APRN’s patient population? What process and/or documentation does the APRN use if expanding the competencies the APRN currently has (e.g., a professional portfolio)? Does this method meet BON requirements?

Clinical Site Interview and Analysis Paper

Criteria

Interview Item Responses and Data Collection

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Analysis of the Interview Items

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Conclusion Statement

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References

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Mechanics

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Participation/Justification of Contribution (full credit applied if paper done solo)

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Total Points: 0

interview

What nursing licenses does the APRN have and in what APRN role(s) and population foci does the Texas BON authorize this APRN to practice?
I am a Family Nurse Practitioner. I practice in the inpatient hospital setting on the Palliative Care Team. I am authorized to see patients of all ages under the TX BON. I see primarily adult patients in my current position, but I have worked with pediatric patients in a Pediatric Endocrinology clinic.
How long has the APRN been practicing in this APRN role and population focus area? How long has he or she been in their current position?
I have been an APRN for 7 years. I have worked in Palliative Care for going on 5 years. I have been in my current position for 2 and a half years.
2.Where did the APRN obtain his/her post-basic RN training as an APRN? Was the program an accredited certificate program, an accredited Master’s level program or an accredited DNP program?
I obtained my MSN from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA – it was an accredited Masters level program.
In what ways did the APRN feel, or not feel, prepared to practice when they graduated?
I was not comfortable with ordering diagnostic tests. I did not feel like my program spent enough time on that.
I wish I would have learned more about RVUs and billing.
I felt prepared to ask for help when needed. I had very supportive preceptors as a student.
Compare the ways in which the APRN did or did not feel competent to the core and population competencies applicable to the APRN’s practice (i.e., NONPF core and population competencies for NPs).
What does the APRN wish he or she had known when beginning practice that their educational program did not teach them?
I wish I would have known how to negotiate a contract.
3.Who is the APRN’s employer? Does the APRN see patients in multiple practice settings? Describe each setting and the APRN’s role in that setting. Describe the collaborative relationship the APRN has with the physicians in his or her practice. What are some of the struggles/challenges and advantages of this relationship?
I work for Acclaim Physician Group at JPS hospital. I work on the Palliative Care inpatient consultation service. I am responsible for my own patient list – I am assigned new consults and decide how often to see patients in follow-up. A physician on the team co-signs my new consult notes but they are billed by me. I value the autonomy that I have in my position.
My supervising physician is the Palliative Care team director, Dr Capper. We have interdisciplinary meetings amongst our team where we talk about our new consults and issues with existing patients. It took time to get to know each physician and how they practice – they are all so different! I do feel comfortable going to any of the 4 physicians on our team for help with medical or ethical concerns.
4.Who is responsible for making practice decisions in the APRN’s workplace? Is this done by one person or is it a formalized collaborative process?
Our team discusses practice decisions as a group – input of APRNs is valued by the director and other physicians in the group.
5.Does the prescription form meet the legal requirements, or if prescribing electronically, is the APRN able to “sign” the prescriptions and include other required information? Does this APRN prescribe controlled substances? If so, what schedules does the APRN order or prescribe and what steps has the APRN taken to comply with the controlled substances laws?
I have a DEA number and I prescribe controlled substances only in the inpatient setting. I do the required education to maintain my DEA and prescriptive authority. I prescribe Schedule II-V drugs. I do not prescribe Schedule I drugs.
6.How are the services provided by the APRN reimbursed—under the APRN’s provider number or under the physician’s? Services are billed under my provider number
If the APRN’s services are billed under the physician’s provider number, how does the practice ensure their billing is compliant with applicable laws such as Medicare incident to billing guidelines? N/A
If billing under the APRN’s provider number, in how many managed care (MC) plans is the APRN a provider? I can bill Medicare, Medicaid and multiple other MC plans (Cigna, Aetna, BC/BS)
Did the APRN or employer encounter problems during the credentialing process? No problems but the process took 3 months when I moved from Pennsylvania to Texas
If the APRN is a primary care provider (PCP), is the APRN identified as a PCP on the MC plans? N/A
How does the practice ensure billing is compliant with applicable laws? There is a coding and billing team that is constantly auditing provider billing. We are contacted if our billing is not compliant or something needs to be changed to reflect the correct billing code.
7.How does the APRN keep current regarding the BON rules/regulations for APRNs in the state of Texas, or whatever state they are practicing in? I am a member of TNP (Texas Nurse Practitioners) – I have attended their conferences and keep up to date with TBON changes via their emails and mailings
Have they been involved in any performance outcome or quality improvement projects as an APRN? If so, describe their role and involvement in such a project. I developed end-of-life education tools for nurses in the nursing home I worked at. I provided a pre-test, education, and post-test and evaluated the significance. This was part of a quality improvement project aimed to increase satisfaction of patients receiving end-of-life care (and their families). Surveys were sent out prior to education of nursing staff and after education of nursing staff.
8.How does the APRN get involved in APRN/nursing leadership/policy/legislative activities (i.e., giving money, time)? Do they have an example of any sort of policy initiative they were involved in either at the facility level or hospital level or professional organization level?
I will be honest – I have not gotten involved in these types of activities during this time in my career. My off time and energy is devoted to my family. Perhaps later in my career when I do not have as many home responsibilities, I will get more involved in these activities.
9.Does the APRN use any tools or standards to determine his or her ongoing competence to treat the APRN’s patient population? What process and/or documentation does the APRN use if expanding the competencies the APRN currently has (e.g., a professional portfolio)? Does this method meet BON requirements?

I decided to become certified in Palliative Care and Hospice to become more confident in my role. This certification requires CMEs related to Palliative Care and Hospice in order to re-certify. I can use the CME hours towards my AANP re-certification and TBON license renewal.