Discuss the influence of the Consensus Model for APRN: LACE. Why is it important? Support your discussions with at least two current scholarly articles (less than 5 years). Consensus Model Retrieved September 2018 from Consensus Model for APRN Regulation.

Answer:

The Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification & Education is a uniform model of recognition used to align the future practice of advanced practice nursing together with designed interrelationships among licensure, accreditation, certification, and education (LACE) (Mack, 2018). The model is a product of discussions around defining the role of APRNs and outlines the different clinical and educational standards that APRNs should meet to earn national certification, scope of practice, and state licensure. The APRN Consensus Model elaborates the formal recognition of knowledge, skills, and experience as demonstrated through the achievement of standards identified by the health care profession and expounds that licensure is different from certification (Kurtzman et al., 2017). Licensure is the granting of authority to practice. As a result, national certification awarded through organizations such as the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and other accredited certifying bodies is a crucial requirement for licensure and mainly occur at the state level. While the model has taken time to implement across different states, it has greatly influenced the withdrawal of some national certifications in different APRN specialties and has helped clarify the main role of APRNs. It has, therefore, ensured that APRNs receive sufficient education and training to support quality care and ensure patient safety. Through established standards, APRNs now qualify to serve patients independently in a wider variety of medical environments. 

The Consensus Model for APRN: LACE is important as it unites nursing programs, national certification organizations, and state boards of nursing in their definitions of the roles of APRNs so that nurses wishing to become APRNs must face the same standards throughout their education, across states, and in their applications for licensure and certifications. Since APRN scope of practice and licensure are determined by state board of nursing, APRNs can face barriers that could interfere with their ability to practice at their full capacity across states (Castaldo, Zickafoose & Walker, 2018). For instance, if an APRN moves from one state to another, they ought to meet different licensure requirements for that state in which they practice. Also, lack of standardization across states means that the scope of practice could be more difficult as states that do not grant full practice authority must individually change regulations to broaden APRNs practice privileges. Therefore, the APRN Consensus Model helps to address these inconsistencies and other issues through standard definitions and mandates for licensure and practice. 

References

Castaldo, R. R., Zickafoose, P. C., & Walker, R. D. (April 01, 2018). Delaware's Pathway to Achieving APRN Consensus. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 9, 1, 23-30.

Kurtzman, E. T., Barnow, B. S., Johnson, J. E., Simmens, S. J., Infeld, D. L., & Mullan, F. (February 01, 2017). Does the Regulatory Environment Affect Nurse Practitioners' Patterns of Practice or Quality of Care in Health Centers? Health Services Research, 52, 437-458.

Mack, R. (May 01, 2018). Increasing Access to Health Care by Implementing a Consensus Model for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Practice. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 14, 5, 419-424.

What NPs should know about the APRN consensus model. (January 01, 2019). Aacn Bold Voices, 11, 4.