What is a Nurse Practitioner? | What is a Nurse Practitioner? |
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WHAT IS A NURSE PRACTITIONER?A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with advanced education in diagnosing and managing illness. The values of a nurse practitioner are centered around a compassion for people and focus on health promotion and disease prevention. Therefore, nurse practitioners spend a tremendous amount of time educating their patients on wellness and conducting screenings to prevent disease. Many nurse practitioners specialize to care for a particular population of people. A Family Nurse Practitioner provides primary healthcare to various patients across the lifespan, from infants to the elderly. Other areas where nurse practitioners specialize include:
WHAT DO NURSE PRACTITIONERS DO?Nurse practitioners have advanced training in health assessment, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Some of their responsibilities include:
Nurse practitioners work together with physicians and other members of the healthcare team to provide excellent healthcare to patients. Nurse practitioners may refer patients to specialty clinics, surgeons, physical therapists or dieticians for further care. WHAT TYPE OF EDUCATION DO NURSE PRACTITIONERS HAVE?Most states require nurse practitioners to be educated at a master’s degree level for entry into practice. Nurse practitioners must pass a certification exam and be licensed by the state to provide healthcare to patients. In order to maintain their license, nurse practitioners are required to keep up on current health trends and practices through continuing education. In the future, it is predicted that nurse practitioners will be required to obtain a doctorate level education prior to entering into practice. WHERE DO NURSE PRACTITIONERS WORK?Nurse practitioners may be found in various healthcare settings such as:
For More Information on Nurse Practitioners: American College of Nurse Practitioners |