NPs are advanced practice nurses who provide a wide range of high-quality healthcare services similar to those of a doctor. NPs have graduate, advanced education and clinical training beyond their 4 year registered nurse preparation with most possessing a master’s degree and many achieving doctorates.
They diagnose and treat a wide range of health problems and have a unique approach that stresses both care as well as cure. In addition to providing clinical care, NPs focus on health promotion, disease prevention, health education, and counseling assisting their clients in making wise health and lifestyle choices.
NPs distinguished themselves from other healthcare providers by focusing on the whole person when treating specific health problems and educating their patients on the effects problems could have on them, their loved ones, and their communities.
By providing high-quality care and medical counseling NPs can lower the cost of health care for their patients. They order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x-rays, diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections, and injuries, prescribe medications and other treatments, manage patients’ overall care, spend the time to counsel their patients, and help them learn how their actions affect their health and well-being.
NPs can specialize in many areas including acute care, adult health, family health, gerontology health, neonatal health, oncology, pediatric/child health, psychiatric/mental health. Many practice in subspecialty areas such as allergy and immunology, cardiovascular, dermatology, emergency, endocrinology, hematology and oncology, neurology, occupational health, orthopedics, pulmonary and respiratory, sports medicine, urology, etc.
NPs practice in a variety of settings such as rural, urban, and suburban communities. Settings include clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care centers, private physician or NP practices, nursing homes, schools, colleges, prisons, mental hospitals, and public health departments.
NPs are licensed in all states. 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.