So I wrote so much about NP's or nurse practitioners but haven't really explained what they are. I'm sure in your navigation of the healthcare system in the US, you have already bumped into Nurse Practitioners. Maybe there was a time that you went to see your family doctor and it was a NP who came into your exam room and checked up on you. Or that last trip to the ER, you were treated by someone with the title "NP" after their name instead of "MD". Or when you woke up in the hospital, you were treated by a NP.
Nursing in the US has a long history and it's still evolving. Most nurses are Registered Nurses (RNs) who have an Associate's Degree or a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing. There are also licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) who have one year of nursing training in vocational or technical schools or community colleges, who work under the direction of physicians and RNs.
So what are NPs or Nurse Practitioners? NPs are advanced practice nurses. They have graduate, advanced education and clinical training beyond their RN preparation. Most have master's degrees and many have doctorates.
Other advanced practice nurses include the Certified Nurse Anesthetists, Certified Nurse Midwives and Clinical Nurse Specialists, who all have graduate degrees in nursing as well.
NPs in the US have been providing excellent health care for about half a century now. The first NPs were educated at the University of Colorado in 1965. The program soon spread across the US. According to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, there are about 140,000 practicing NPs as of 2010.
NPs are licensed in all states and the District of Columbia. They practice under the rules and regulations of the state in which they are licensed. Most NPs are nationally certified in their specialty area and are recognized as expert healthcare providers. The faith that patients have in NPs is shown by the almost 600 million visits made to NPs each year.
NPs diagnose and treat various illnesses and diseases. They perform well exams or manage both acute illnesses and chronic diseases. They order diagnostic procedures and labs. They prescribe medications and other treatments. They provide services from primary health care like your doctor's office or community health center, to acute settings such as urgent care centers and hospitals. They focus on disease prevention and health promotion.
The most common sub-specialty for NPs are Family NPs, Geriatric NPs, Psychiatric NP, Adult NPs, Pediatric NPs, Acute Care NPs, and Women's Health Care NPs. However you will encounter NPs in almost all medical specialties such as in cardiology, nephrology, hematology, dermatology, urology, orthopedics, obstetrics, pediatrics, gastroenterology, and oncology.
More and more people are choosing NPs as their primary, acute and/or specialty
healthcare provider. In addition to being top-notch healthcare providers, NPs deliver a
unique blend of nursing and medical care. They provide high quality health care services. So maybe next time you need to see a health care provider, why not choose a NP?
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