Nurse practitioner

A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has completed advanced nursing education (generally a master's degree) and training in the diagnosis and management of common medical conditions, including chronic illnesses. Nurse practitioners provide a broad range of health care services. While nurse practitioners are not trained in medicine, their advanced education in nursing makes this a fast-growing midlevel profession.

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) provide much of the same basic, non-emergent care provided by physicians generally of the type seen in their specific practice areas like family practice offices, urgent care centers, and rural health clinics, and maintain collaborative working relationships with physicians. NPs are licensed by the state in which they practice, and have a board certification (often through ANCC - American Nurses Credentialing Center) in their area of practice. Rather than a generic focus of education, Nurse Practitioners are able to specialize in an area of study they desire (e.g. Pediatrics, Family Practice, Adult, Geriatric, etc.), and provide care within the scope of their expertise. As well, Nurse practitioners in certain states can be "psychiatric clinicians" and perform similar practice (though at a different level) as a psychiatrist would.

Nurse practitioners may treat both acute and chronic conditions, as well as prescribe medications and therapies for the patient at hand. Many NPs have a DEA registration number that allows them to write for "controlled" medications in most states. Nurse practitioners may also bill for Medicare and Medicaid and private insurance for services performed. An NP can serve as a patient’s "point of entry" health care provider and see patients of all ages depending on their designated scope of practice. Often a patient will be referred by the NP to a physician for more definitive diagnosis and care. The core philosophy of the field is individualized care. Nurse practitioners focus on patients' conditions as well as the effects of illness on the lives of the patients and their families. Informing patients about their health care and encouraging them to participate in decisions are central to the care provided by NPs.

In 14 states, NPs can work nearly autonomously and some are able to open their own clinical practices. American NPs, according to the American College of Nurse Practitioners, are required in 28 states to practice in collaboration with and under the supervision of a physician though they may prescribe medications and carry a DEA number in all 50 statescitation needed].