| Verify Credentials: |
|
Nurse Practitioners are licensed by each state. Search for a Nurse Practitioner on the state's nursing board licensing site: |
|
| New York |
| North Carolina |
| Ohio |
| Virginia |
| Professional Organizations: |
|
|
|
| What is a Nurse Practitioner? |
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses who are prepared, through advanced education and clinical training, to provide a wide range of preventive and acute health care services to individuals of all ages. NPs complete graduate-level education preparation that leads to a master’s degree. NPs take health histories and provide complete physical examinations; diagnose and treat many common acute and chronic problems; interpret laboratory results and X-rays; prescribe and manage medications and other therapies; provide health teaching and supportive counseling with an emphasis on prevention of illness and health maintenance; and refer patients to other health professionals as needed.
NPs are authorized to practice across the nation and have prescriptive privileges, of varying degrees, in 49 states. The most recent Health Resources and Services Administration Sample Survey report (2004) shows 141,209 Nurse Practitioners in the United States, an increase of more than 27 percent over 2000 data. The actual number of nurse practitioners in 2006 is estimated to be at least 145,000. from the American College of Nurse Practitioners, 2006 |
|
|
Nurse practitioners entering field in rising numbers |
|
Nurse practitioners, registered nurses who have master's degrees in nursing and are trained to perform many of the medical procedures doctors do, are coming into the field in rising numbers, according to the American College of Nurse Practitioners. The college reports the number of NPs nationwide has increased from 48,237 in 1992 to an estimated 115,000 in 2004.
Nurse practitioners typically work alongside doctors. Duties range from physical exams and prescribing medications to performing some invasive procedures, such as bone-marrow aspirations.
''There's a growing recognition of how effective nurse practitioners are as skilled clinicians," said Dr. Peter Slavin, the president of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. ''They are a very important part of our team of care givers." from the Boston Globe, 2004
Nurse Practitioners have a reputation for personalized care
|
|
