Name: |
Nurse
Practitioner |
Description: |
The
nurse practitioner (NP) is a specially prepared
nurse with advanced skills in physical and
psychosocial assessment through interview and
physical examination. The NP functions in an
expanded specialty role that includes ordering
laboratory and other diagnostic tests;
diagnosing, developing and implementing treatment
plans for acute and chronic illness; prescribing
medications; monitoring patient status; educating
and counseling patients; consulting and
collaborating with other providers; and referring
patients to other providers |
Settings: |
Diverse
settings including hospitals (inpatient and
outpatient units), health maintenance
organizations, freestanding nurse-run
primary-care clinics, private-practice offices,
extended-care facilities, home health, schools;
varied specialties including occupational, adult,
geriatric, women's, family, neonatal, pediatric
healthcare; and most subspecialties including
cardiac, critical care, oncology, sports
medicine, emergency |
Characteristics: |
Decision-making
opportunities, authority, leadership,
accountability, autonomy, focus on health
promotion and disease prevention |
Drawbacks: |
Public
and physician acceptance, educational and
certification requirements, scope- of-practice
and reimbursement issues |
Desirable
skills: |
Expertise
in collecting, analyzing, and labeling health
problems, differential diagnosis, risk taking,
independence, collaboration, and teamwork |
Education: |
RN
with MSN |
Employers: |
Hospitals,
health maintenance organizations, community and
public health centers, group practices,
extended-care facilities, home-health agencies,
schools systems, large companies |
Certification: |
|
Organizations: |
|
Publications: |
| Journal
of the American Academy of Nurse
Practitioners |
| |
| Academy Update
Newsletter |
| 512-442-4262 |
| |
| Nurse
Practitioner Journal |
| 800-490-6580 |
| |
| Journal of
Advanced Nursing |
|
|
