Role and Setting: Family Nurse Practitioner

Family Nurse Practitioner: Role and Setting

In this discussion, I will focus on the Family Nurse Practitioner role. In an attempt to research and find out more about this role, I will source for information from three different materials -- two research articles and an opinion article. In brief, it is important to note, from the onset, that the role a Family Nurse Practitioner -- FNP plays in meeting the health care needs of the family unit cannot be overstated. In the execution of their roles, FNPs typically collaborate with various professionals, including but not limited to, primary care physicians.

To find out how Family Nurse Practitioners thrive in their respective roles and how motivated they usually are in various care settings, it would be prudent to review past research studies on Family Nurse Practitioners' job satisfaction. In one such study, De Milt, Fitzpatrick, and McNulty (2010), authors of a research piece titled Nurse Practitioners' Job Satisfaction and Intent to Leave Current Positions, the Nursing Profession, and the Nurse Practitioner Role as a Direct Care Provider found out that sampled NPs were largely satisfied with not only the autonomy their role offered, but also the benefits and challenges associated with their roles. On the other hand, those sampled indicated that "they were minimally satisfied with professional growth, intrapractice partnership, and collegiality." This research article is of great relevance with regard to the subject matter of this discussion, as "the majority of NPs surveyed reported they were nationally certified as family NPs (FNPs)." The study indicates that in general, save for a few areas, NPs are satisfied with their roles. This is good news to those keen on pursuing a career in this particular field.

While some Family Nurse Practitioners choose to work in community health settings, others elect to serve in other unique, but equally fulfilling roles. Some FNPs choose to work with military families. According to Agazio et al. (2013), authors of Mothers Going to War: the Role of Nurse Practitioners in the Care of Military Mothers and Families during Deployment, FNP experience some unique challenges working with military families. According to the authors, this is particularly the case given that the physical and emotional health of military women ought to be supported not only before (or after), but also during and following deployment. For this reason, the authors suggest that FNPs be flexible and dynamic in the execution of their mandate.