Student Health Center: What is a Nurse Practitioner?
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses who are prepared, through advanced education and clinical training, to provide a variety of preventative and acute health care services to people of all ages. NPs may work independently or in collaboration with a physician and must have an RN license before being accepted into an NP educational program. Today, NPs complete graduate-level education preparation that leads to a master’s degree.
Services NPs provide:
- Perform health histories
- Physical exams
- Diagnose and treat many common acute and chronic health problems
- Interpret laboratory results and X-rays
- Prescribe and manage medications and other therapies
- Provide health teaching and counseling with an emphasis on
preventative care - Refer patients to other health professionals as needed
NPs practice in a variety of areas:
- Employee health
- Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
- Hospitals (inpatient and outpatient services)
- Private offices
- Schools and college health
- Long-term care facilities
- NP-managed health centers
- Home health agencies
- Prisons and correctional facilities
- Psychiatric facilities
NPs provide services for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of disease, as well as illness prevention and health maintenance.
Numerous studies conclude that nurse practitioners perform as well as physicians in their specialty area of practice, in patient diagnosis, management of specific diseases, and patient outcomes. NPs have improved access to an affordability of health care by consistently offering high-quality and cost-effective services.
Adapted from “Frequently Asked Questions about Nurse Practitioners;” www.acnpweb.org, August 27, 2007.