Americans Got Nurses Interview Article – Nurse Practitioner
Dec 6, 2014 | 9:00 am
What are the Difference Between a Nurse Practitioner and a RN?
A nurse practitioner plays a unique role in the nursing profession. To become one, you must first go through the years of formal education and training required of a registered nurse. You must then continue your education with the completion of a Master’s Degree in Nursing. A nurse practitioner may work independent of a physician, formulating a diagnosis based on the patient’s complaints and prior history, performing examinations and ordering lab tests or X-rays to complete a diagnosis.
Where does a Nurse Practitioner Work?
Nurse practitioners work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, treatment centers and other health organizations. With the exception of surgery, nurse practitioners, under state regulations, are allowed to provide many of the same services as a physician, without supervision. Originally considered a physician’s assistant, it has changed to the role of a primary care provider when a physician is not available.
Are There Specialized Areas of Practice for the Nurse Practitioner?
A nurse practitioner may take on a specialized field of practice, such as acute care, pediatrics and woman’s health issue. They may also work as researchers, advocates or health educators. A new, but growing field of practice is as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. However, the vast majority have chosen the role of family nurse practitioner. Mary Jo Goolsby, EdD, MSN, NP-C, CAE, FAANP, director of research and education for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners states, “the family nurse practitioner role is becoming more dominant in that almost half of all nurse practitioners are now and this role does afford great flexibility since a family nurse practitioner can care for patients across the age span.”
In What Ways are Family Nurse Practitioners More Flexible?
The family nurse practitioner is reminiscent of a family doctor. The nurse practitioner may work with the entire family, from the babies to the elderly, guiding them on health issues, performing regular check-ups and providing nutritional diets for special needs, from pre-natal to elderly care. A family practitioner has the authority to perform certain procedures, either with a physician or independently. Family practitioners may give injections and immunizations, perform skin biopsies, or place stitches when needed. They are also qualified to give referrals to specialists for procedures outside their scope of practice. David G. O’Dell, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC, graduate Nursing Program Director at South University, West Palm Beach states, “from the family nurse practitioner perspective, the family is the patient so individuals are treated within the context of their family.”
What is the Future of the Nurse Practitioner?
With a shortage of primary care doctors, there has been a growing interest in the role of the nurse practitioner. Although nurse practitioners state they do not intend to replace physicians, they are able to provide high-quality patient care and cost effective treatments. Observed Goosby, “from our nursing background, nurse practitioners bring a patient-centered approach to their care and the outcome is excellent.”
The debate over independent nursing practices has been a controversial one for a long time, but with the growing demand by baby boomers and people who will be newly insured through the healthcare reform, a more critical look has been taken of the role nurse practitioners play. While the state regulatory environment is changing, giving “plenary” authority to nurse practitioners, they still work within an overall healthcare team. “Historically, you look at the family doctor as being by himself and making house calls,” says O’Dell. “That is history. Now it’s all about teamwork. It is just a given. Therefore, when someone asks, ‘who is the captain?’ We say, it takes a team.”