Who Are the Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners are health care providers who are registered nurses and possessing advanced education and clinical training to qualify them to provide a range of health care services, among which are primary care and prevention, assessment, counseling, and management of acute or chronic conditions. The nurse practitioner holds himself/herself to high standards, personally and professionally. As stated by the Journal for Nurse Practitioners, the Nurse Practitioner set goals and work with great care and perseverance to make them a reality. There is overwhelming recognition of the roles that nurse practitioners play in the delivery of health care, especially in underserved communities.
Nurse Practitioners are educated in more general areas first with the option to specialize. It is legal for nurse practitioners to have independent practices in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, although some states require collaborative privileges with a physician for prescriptions. Nurse Practitioners have prescriptive rights, including controlled substances, in all 50 states and D.C.
Nurse Practitioners are the providers of choice for the millions of patients. The faith clients have in the nurse practitioners’ provided health care accounts for the estimated 1.06 billion client visits made to nurse practitioners in 2018, according to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. NPs are in high demand due to a shortage of primary care physicians who cannot meet up with the demand for healthcare services needed by the aging baby boomers suffering from chronic diseases.
Education of Nurse Practitioners is different from doctors in the medical school, investing more time in learning to earn a bachelor’s in nursing, then 2 to 4 years to graduate with a master’s degree earned in specialty areas of choice. There is currently a campaign to do a doctorate at an entry-level to become a nurse practitioner by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
The nurse practitioner has a holistic approach of patient’s health as its philosophy as they focus on health, daily living, and functionality, and giving the client feedback to empower them and the family to ensure self-care responsibility. Nurse practitioners can diagnose and prescribe as physicians do, but the nursing background emphasizes health promotion and patient empowerment.
Eligibility to practice in New York state involves individuals holding a registered nursing license and also certified as a nurse practitioner in one or more of the sixteen nurse practitioner specialties. When nurse practitioners hold more than one certification, they are mandated to recertify every three years for each of the specialty certifications held.