What is a Nurse Practitioner?
Jan 3, 2015 | 9:00 am
If you have ever wondered “what is a nurse practitioner?” you are going to find out the answer in this very article. Simply put, a nurse practitioner is in fact an RN (registered nurse) who has graduated from a higher educational program and has specialized in particular areas like pediatrics or family practice. The minimum education required to be a nurse practitioner is a master’s degree. Also, the person concerned must have completed the training in management and diagnosis of chronic illnesses and other regular medical conditions.
The Duties of a Nurse Practitioner
A nurse practitioner is going to offer different types of services and will have various duties. According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the nurse practitioner (NP) will work closely with the other health care professionals in order to provide specialty, acute or primary health care services. As a result, a nurse practitioner will counsel the patients and will educate them regarding their illness and disease prevention and they will offer them information about healthy lifestyle choices. These specialists will also interpret, perform and order diagnostic tests like x-rays and lab work.
Another responsibility carried by these professionals is treating and diagnosing chronic and acute conditions like injuries, infections, high blood pressure and diabetes. Last, but not least, a nurse practitioner is going to manage the overall care of the patient.
According to the AANP, the specialty areas for a nurse practitioner can be women’s health, acute care, mental/psychiatric health, adult health, child/pediatric health, family health, oncology, neonatal health and gerontology health.
Education and Qualifications
As mentioned before, in the answer to the question “what is a nurse practitioner?” this specialist has to complete a doctoral or a master’s degree program, in order to practice in the field. At the same time, before becoming a registered nurse, the individual must complete advanced clinical training. The clinical and didactic courses will help the nurses get accustomed with the clinical competency and specialized knowledge in the field. They will have the chance to pursue hands-on practice in long-term, acute care and primary care settings.
Moreover, to offer top quality care and become an expert health care provider, a nurse practitioner is going to undergo continuous national certification, clinical outcome evaluations and periodic peer review. Not to mention that they must also respect a specific code containing the ethical practices. In order to maintain the clinical competency, self-directed professional development and continued learning are also important.
License
In order to practice, the nurse practitioners must be licensed. The licensure can be obtained in the District of Columbia and all the other states. The requirements to obtain licensure differ depending on the state. After obtaining the license, a nurse practitioner will be able to provide care in suburban, urban and rural communities.
As a nurse practitioner, you will be working in public health departments, clinics, colleges, hospitals, schools, emergency rooms, nursing homes, private physician practices, urgent care sites or emergency rooms.
We hope that you have found all your answers to the question “what is a nurse practitioner?” and remember that this profession must be done with passion in order to see the rewards.