Nurse practitioners play a very important role in the medical community. A nurse practitioner (or NP as it is sometimes abbreviated to) is a registered nurse (RN) who has gone on to obtain a higher level of education and training beyond the basic that is required. Most NPs have a master’s degree or beyond. The specialized training that a nurse practitioner obtains allows her a greater level of clinical independence, authority and autonomy than other RNs. The education that a NP receives makes it possible for her to diagnosis and manage any number of health issues for her patients.
In some areas of the country nurse practitioners provide similar care as those of physicians. In fact they are often thought of as doctor extenders, especially those that work in smaller rural communities. The training required of a person wishing to pursue nurse practitioner careers is almost as much as what is expected of a doctor.
A NP can work in her field in a general capacity or if she wishes she can choose to specialize even further. As an example, some NPs focus their attention on working just with babies, children, teenagers or adults. Other areas of specialty for a nurse practitioner include oncology, cardiology, primary care, obstetrics/ gynecology, gerontology/elder care and gastroenterology.
Individualized care is of significance to the work of a nurse practitioner. This means that the patients that see a NP receive the best care possible that is geared specifically to their needs. A focal point of a nurse practitioner’s job is to educate her patients on how to live healthier lives and how to promote well-being. What this means for a patient is a healthier outlook for their life, fewer prescriptions and less costly and time consuming treatments for medical conditions. She supports and encourages her patients in every way she can. A NP can play a very positive role in the health care of all of her patients. Many nurse practitioners get involved in research studies and choose to lead patient advocacy groups.
NPs often see patients who are very young to those who are elderly. They also see both males and females. They are not limited to who they see. Many write prescriptions for their patients as required. They perform physical exams and treat all different sorts of illnesses and sicknesses. One way in which their duties are different from that of physicians is that the focus of their work is on preventing health problems and diseases as opposed to simply treating them once they make themselves known. Education and wellness are also top priorities for those who work as nurse practitioners.
NPs can find work in any number of medical settings. They are found working in hospitals, clinics of hospitals, health centers, community clinics, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), home healthcare agencies, hospice centers, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, schools and health departments. Any environment where you would find a physician employed is where you would also find a nurse practitioner working.
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