Regulation is crucial to every profession as it provides the opportunity to ensure every individual in the field complies with all the set standard, rules and regulations. In nursing, professional organizations and state boards work independently gearing towards the same goal of professionalism. State boards focus on the setting of standards for acceptable and safe care in nursing. It also sets strictly, the practice scope within the various jurisdictions and provides licensing for prepared, competent and qualified individuals.

On the other hand, professional organizations focus more on pumping inspiration, motivation in keeping nursing healthy as a profession. They involve groups of people who aim at generating a consistent flow of ideas that will see the field grow and develop especially in areas of ethics, which directly affects how nurses carry themselves around their workplaces. They also lay the groundwork for proactive actions and act as the voice for members operating in the area.

Credentialing refers to the confirmation of the authenticity and background of an individual or organization through strict and controlled processes. It purposes to increase the levels of safety and quality in the delivery of health care services. It achieves this by checking the qualifications of all professionals to ensure that they remain responsible and that they can discharge their mandate according to all the specified rules and regulations. A considerable number of credentialing methods exist in the nursing sphere.

Licensure involves the granting of the authorization to persons or groups, to practice nursing and use the relevant title of the occupation. It is restrictive and only allows individuals to effectively use their occupational titles in particular regions like the state or nation. It is, however, very advantageous as it gives individuals and organizations the opportunity and freedom to operate as legally permitted experts in their field of expertise (In DeNisco & In Barker, 2016).

Certification is the procedure involved the validation of a person’s status, and competence through examinations, educational training programs, or assessments, and then providing them with permission to fulfill specific duties for a certain limited period. The merit of this method of credentialing is that it enables an individual qualification for job opportunities, promotions or, for reassuring clients and the public, in general, it also protects the public’s safety and wellbeing. The method’s weakness is that it does not give individuals any additional privilege in terms of the scope of practice (Milstead, 2013).

Another important method of credentialing is registration. It involves the enrollment of persons based on their compliance with existing minimum entry standards within nursing. This process allows an individual to have an additional title of ‘registered’ that enables them to increase their level of competence within the eyes of the public. Although it protects their level of proficiency to some extent, there have been cases where relevant bodies revoke registration due to unethical activities. It, also, unfortunately, does not impact the scope of practice and it remains similar to that of the unregistered.

Finally, recognition allows for the acknowledgment of the achievements of individuals or organizations in their respective fields of practice. This method of credentialing enables individuals to provide their services fully within their scope while still protecting the public through regulating the extent of their practicing (Milstead, 2013). Its efficiency, however, gets challenged by the distinct standards existing in different states, which, immensely undermines their scope of practice and providing inefficiencies in the provision of necessary healthcare services. The public may suffer due to the limitation in the domain of practice.

References

In DeNisco, S. M., & In Barker, A. M. (2016). Advanced practice nursing: Essential knowledge for the profession.

Milstead, J. A. (2013). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.