Running head: PROFESSIONAL PLAN
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APN Professional Development Plan
Jeralynn D. Sheets
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NR500: Foundational Concepts and Advanced Practice Roles
January 2020
PROFESSIONAL PLAN
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APN Professional Development Plan
A professional development plan can be a useful tool to aid in setting career expectations
and goals as you transition from one position to another, in this case, registered nurse (RN) to
family nurse practitioner (FNP).
To get started in a successful transition it is necessary to first
determine all of the state requirements such as education, licensure and regulations. To
accomplish future career goals, it is beneficial to take an in-depth look at personal strengths and
weaknesses. An honest and thorough assessment of one’s self will assist in developing the skills
and endowments needed to provide the best quality of care. By knowing where strengths and
weaknesses lie it builds self-awareness and a higher level of competency for success in a future
role. Increased self-awareness it helps develop leadership skills necessary to manage a complex
health care system. Gaining knowledge on Ohio’s rules and regulations for advanced practicing
nurses (APN) will assist in plans for a successful future, with the addition of determining
strengths and weaknesses in clinical competency allowing for the development of advanced
leadership skills.
APN Scope of Practice
The scope of practice for advanced practice nurses is directed by each state’s
individualized practice act (NCSBN, 2015). The Ohio board of nursing (OBN) requires
registered nurses to obtain a master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited educational program
(2018). Once a minimum of a Master’s degree has been earned then the APN must submit proof
of their achievement to sit for the certification exam (OBN, 2018).
A written application with the
designated nursing specialty must be submitted with a one-hundred fifty-dollar fee and filed
under oath (OBN, 2018).
The Ohio board of nursing will send out an issue or denial within 30
PROFESSIONAL PLAN
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days (2018).
Certification renewal is required every two years, where the APN must demonstrate
they have completed continuing education units and submit another one- hundred fifty-dollar fee.
In Ohio, nurse practitioners (NP) have a limited scope of practice. According to the
American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), throughout the lifetime of their career
NP’s are required to work in collaboration with another health care provider, physician or
podiatrist, when providing preventative and primary care services (2018). When collaborating
with a podiatrist, the certified nurse practitioners’ (CNP) scope of practice must coincide with
that of the podiatrist. Therefore, the CNP is limited to performing only the procedures of which
the podiatrist has authority (OBN, 2018). Furthermore, in collaboration with at least one other
healthcare provider, an Ohio CNP may prescribe drugs and therapeutic devices (OBN,2018).
