reply to patsey:

According to the New Mexico State Health Improvement Plan (2022), there are numerous health priorities in New Mexico. The top concern was access to primary care. Shortage areas are defined as “locations, designated by the Federal government, with critical shortages of key primary care services $efined as having less than half the services needed by the area’s population” (NMDOH, 2022). The report identified multiple strategic goals to combat this shortage. These strategies provision of incentives to healthcare providers working in underserved areas, financial support for recruitment and retention, improved access to those with disability and greater than 65 years old, and finally, vaccinations via primary care (NMDOH, 2022). 

Although the state of New Mexico does not limit the scope of practice, there continues to be a problem with health access. My research determined that “nationally, there are 0.83 advanced practice nurses per 1,000 residents, and New Mexico has a ratio of one-third of that” (Jakucs, 2022). There are multiple ways a nurse practitioner can strategize to improve nurse practitioner recruitment in rural areas. Proactively identify and promote. Legislative changes that influence the rural community and the state of New Mexico. One recent piece of legislation is the NM HB 75, which makes malpractice insurance more affordable to nurse practitioners by limiting liability to $750K and includes $500K excess coverage of the Patient Compensation Fund (Letherer, 2021). Partnership with local colleges and university programs is a solid strategy to encourage the recruitment of nurse practitioners in rural areas. This partnership allows the opportunity to present life in a rural community and how they can make a difference in the local community. Lastly, this partnership allows for the education of nurse practitioners to practice in the state of New Mexico. This includes the independent scope of practice. Lastly, the nurse practitioner’s holistic approach to medicine allows individual strategies to be developed.

References

Letherer, J. (2021, October 19).  Advanced practice nurses the future of care in NM. Albuquerque Journal. https://www.abqjournal.com/2438813/with-new-malpractice-protections-these-professionals-can-fill-need.html

Nmhealth.org. (n.d.). New Mexico State Health Plan. NMDOH. https://www.nmhealth.org/publication/view/plan/5311/

Jakucs, C. (2022, October 7). In rural healthcare, NPS can be a solution to severe provider shortage. Nurse.com Blog. 

https://www.nurse.com/blog/rural-healthcare-nps-solution-severe-provider-shortage/