Essay Example on Medical Licensure and Certification

In the world today, medical care is an essential and integral part of the everyday life of people all over the world. The credentialing of medical practitioners tends to be very important to ensure that the right personnel are made available to provide the necessary care within any managed care environment (Carefoote, 2015). It is important to note that there are various organizations and governing bodies that are responsible for ensuring that qualified practitioners are made available in ensuring that healthcare is provided. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is the main body that ensures that the standards are set for qualified practitioners to provide the required services. The Department of health is one of the major governing bodies that overlook the credentialing of medical practitioners, within the various states. In addition to the above, any qualified medical practitioner should have the required approval and licenses from agencies such as the Drug and Enforcement Agency (DEA) or the Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) (Hebda, 2013). In addition to the above, they need to have passed the requirements issued by the required National Council Licensure Exams Board, in order to be registered as qualified practitioners.

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The basic level of education requirement that any needed medical practitioner requires extending their required services is the basic degree in whatever medical field they intend to specialize in within their practice. For example, to be a qualified nurse practitioner, one needs to have either a doctoral degree, masters or postmasters degree from an accredited program provided within their state (Medical Licensure, 2015). According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, a qualified nurse should have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), have qualified the examinations provided by the Registered License Nursing board, and passed the Graduate Record Examination Board. They also require the minimal clinical experience on the field to ensure that they are qualified practitioners in the medical field. In addition to the above, one may require the needed specialization education requirements provided by the various state agencies and bodies in order to ensure that they become specialized medical practitioners (Carefoote, 2015). For a nurse to be a qualified practitioner, one can take the required courses and examinations provided by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Specialty examinations and qualifications are offered by such bodies within various states, depending on what one specializes on in their career.

The main reason as to why there are various licensure or certification requirements within the healthcare industry is to ensure that there are qualified medical practitioners within the industry. In addition to the above, the presence of these licensing and certification requirements within given states is to ensure that the governing laws and statutes can be implemented within the practice. It is through these statutes that the credibility and integrity of medical practitioners are enhanced (Hebda, 2013). There have been various cases involving fraudulent medical practitioners who have tarnished the image and credibility within the medical field. It is because of this reason that there has been rise to more complex and rigid licensing boards and statutes governing the medical field within the various states. When it comes to specialization within the medical field, the presence of these licensing and certification agencies and programs ensure that there is the presence of distinction within medical practitioners (Medical Licensure, 2015). For example, nurses and specialized doctors would have to go through different certification requirements for them to practice.

In retrospect, it is important to note that the presence of these licensing and certification programs and requirements within the medical field are integral in ensuring that the required personnel make the needed services available. As mentioned above, the presence of various cases involving fraudulent medical practitioners is present in todays world. They have had an effect on the medial field and patients themselves, causing harm and injury. There are major cases where death has occurred to patients (Medical Licensure, 2015). If a credentialing manager does certify a medical practitioner in any required field, who has not met the needed requirements, could have negative effects on the institution a well as the individual. With the presence of laws and statutes, any form of malpractice could result in the presence of lawsuits against individuals and institutions, the loss of licenses to practice within the medical field, or even closure of institutions (Carefoote, 2015). It is because of the mentioned reasons above, that the need and importance of licensing and certification agencies and programs are essential within the medical field to provide the needed services.

References

Carefoote, R. L. (2015, October 31). MedicalManagement - Credentialing. Retrieved from Managed Care Resources, Inc.: http://www.mcres.com/mcrmm08.htm

Hebda, T. &. (2013). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals.(. Upper Saddle River, NJ:: Pearson.

Medical Licensure. (2015, October 31). Retrieved from American Medical Association: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/becoming-physician/medical-licensure.page