Employment as a Nurse Practitioner in Michigan
Career News September 15, 2013Since the passing of the Affordable Care Act, the demand for quality healthcare and doctors is at an all-time high. The nursing profession is offering solutions to this increased demand for doctors. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the available jobs for Nurse Practitioners (NPs) is expected to increase by 22 percent between 2012 and 2022.
Because nurse practitioners can prescribe most medications, depending on state restrictions, as well as diagnose and treat an array of chronic health problems, they are in high demand at an ever-increasing list of emergency rooms, hospitals, treatment centers, colleges, women’s health clinics, health clinics, pediatric offices, geriatric care settings and physician’s offices. NPs can also provide both primary and acute care in their areas of specialty. In Michigan, NPs typically specialize in one of the following areas: family medicine, gerontology, mental health, oncology, women’s health, pediatrics, adult primary care or neonatal care. In Michigan, around 49 percent of all NPs work within the family medicine sector.
Requirements for a Nurse Practitioner in Michigan
To practice as an nurse practitioner in Michigan, you must first have a registered nurse (RN) degree. This degree must be from a school that is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. Then, you must obtain certification in a graduate program in one of three specialty areas. In Michigan, NPs can specialize as general nurse practitioner, midwives, nurse anesthesiologists or one of several other areas. Make sure to pick a graduate nursing program that is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The certification must meet the demands of one or several of the following agencies:
•Michigan Board of Nursing
•American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
•Pediatric Nurse Certification Board (PNCB)
•National Certification Corporation (NCC)
•American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
•Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC)
Practicing as a Nurse Practitioner in Michigan
Because NPs are licensed as RNs, they can perform most of the duties of a doctor, including prescribing medication. However, because Michigan is a restricted-care state, NPs are prohibited from performing surgeries or any other invasive procedure, from ordering physical therapy and from the treatment of disease. If these duties are called for by an NP, they are required to communicate with a physician by phone or in person.
Prescriptive Authority in Michigan
Since 1978, Nurse Practitioners have fought for and won basic prescriptive authority. NPs can prescribe all Schedule III through V drugs and can prescribe Schedule I and II drugs if:
•The NP has obtained permission to prescribe from a licensed physician. This promissory slip, as well as the signatures and license numbers of both parties, should be kept at the NPs office.
•The NP must record any exceptions to this delegation.
•The NP must make sure to update this authorization annually.
Job Outlook
In the foreseeable future, most states will be removing most restrictions over NPs as the demand for doctors rises. However, Michigan is one of the less restrictive states in terms of practice and prescriptive law.
