Nurse practitioner

A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse who has completed specific advanced nursing education (generally a master's degree) and training in the diagnosis and management of common as well as complex medical conditions. Nurse Practitioners provide a broad range of health care services.

In some states, NPs admit and follow their patients in hospitals. Some NPs work in emergency rooms evaluating, diagnosing and treating patients with lacerations and fractures. In some states, NPs open their own clinics and offices.

Nurse Practitioners treat both acute and chronic conditions through comprehensive history taking, physical exams, physical therapy, ordering tests and therapies for patients, within their scope of practice. 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. 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.

Scope of practice

In the US, NPs are licensed by the state in which they practice, and have a national board certification (usually through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners). Nurse Practitioners can be trained and nationally board certified in areas of Family & Community Medicine (FNP), Pediatrics, including Pediatric Acute/Chronic Care, Pediatric Critical Care, Pediatric Oncology and general Pediatrics (PNP), Neonatology (NNP), Gerontology (GNP), Women's Health (emphasis on reproductive & gynecological health) (WHNP), Psychiatry & Mental Health (PMHNP), Acute Care (ACNP), Adult Health (ANP), Oncology (ONP), Emergency Medicine (as FNP or ACNP), Occupational Health (as ANP), etc. These programs, offered by many universities with a School of Nursing, are graduate-level programs; upon successful completion, students are awarded a Master of Science in Nursing degree (M.S.N.).

Because the profession is state regulated, care provided by NPs varies widely. In many states, nurse practitioners work completely independently and autonomously of physicians while, in other states, a collaborative agreement with a physician is required for practice; the extent of this collaborative agreement, and the role, duties, tasks, medical treatments, pharmacologic prescriptions, et al it affords a Nurse Practitioner to perform and prescribe again varies amongst states of licensure. A nurse practitioner's job may include the following:

• Diagnosing, treating, evaluating and managing acute and chronic illness and disease (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure)
• Obtaining medical histories and conducting physical examinations
• Ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic studies (e.g., routine lab tests, bone x-rays, EKGs)
• Prescribing physical therapy and other rehabilitation treatments
• Prescribing pharmacologic treatments and therapies for acute and chronic illness (extent of prescriptive authority varies by state regulations)
• Providing prenatal care and family planning services
• Providing well-child care, including screening and immunizations
• Providing primary and specialty care services, health-maintenance care for adults, including annual physicals
• Providing care for patients in acute and critical care settings
• Performing minor surgeries and procedures (with additional training and usually under supervision) (e.g., dermatological biopsies, suturing, casting)
• Counseling and educating patients on health behaviors, self-care skills, and treatment options
• Not formally trained for surgical assisting

Practice Settings

NPs practice in all U.S. states. The institutions in which they work may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Community clinics, health centers, urgent care centers
• Health departments
• Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
• Home health care agencies
• Hospitals
• Hospice care
• Nurse practitioner practices/offices
• Nursing homes
• Private & public schools, universities and colleges
• Physician/private medical practices
• Veteran's administration facilities

Education, licensing, and board certification

To be licensed as a nurse practitioner, the candidate must first complete the education and training necessary to be a registered nurse (RN).

Requirements for a registered nurse (RN) include either an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), or completion of a diploma program, as well as direct patient care for acutely or chronically ill patients. ASN programs, which are offered by community and junior colleges, usually take 2 years plus prerequisites. BSN programs are offered by colleges and universities and take 4 years plus necessary prerequisites before acceptance into the program.

While not every state includes specific language requiring a masters degree for NPs, the majority of states do require a masters degree, post-master's certificate or doctoral degree. Further, the current nurse practitioner programs offered by all universities and colleges are at the masters or post-master's certification level. Lastly, all states require national board certification for nurse practitioners before they are permitted to practice and the two biggest certifying bodies, the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, do require applicants to hold a masters degree or post-master's certificate to be eligible to test for certification. In 2015 these organizations will require a DNP for a candidate to be eligible to take the certification examination.

To become NPs, nurses with an associates degree or diploma must first complete a BSN or enter various programs offering an ADN-to-MSN "bridge program," some of which award the bachelors degree while completing the requirements for the masters; others, upon completion, only award the MSN with only the BSN coursework being completed instead of an actual degree awarded.

Once state licensure as a registered nurse is attained by successful completion of the NCLEX-RN, the candidate must complete a state-approved advanced nursing education program that usually specializes in a field such as family health, adult health, acute care, women's health, etc. The degree can be granted by a university which grants an MSN or doctorate in nursing.

The variety of educational paths for NPs is a result of the history of the field. In 1965, the profession of nurse practitioner was instituted and required a master's degree. In the late 1960s into the 1970s, predictions of a physician shortage increased funding and attendance in nurse practitioner programs. During the 1970s, the NP requirements relaxed to include continuing education programs, which helped accommodate the demand for NPs. The certifying organizations, states, and employers require a minimum of a master's degree for new NPs (already established NPs with lesser education were grandfathered in).

After completing the education program, the candidate must be licensed by the state in which he or she plans to practice. The state boards of nursing regulate nurse practitioners and each state has its own licensing and certification criteria. In general, the criteria include completion of a master's degree in nursing and certification by an accrediting body (ANCC, AANP). The license period varies by state; some require biennial relicensing, others require triennial.

Before or after receiving state licensing, a nurse practitioner can apply for national certification from one of several professional nursing organizations such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The American Nurses Association (ANA) does not offer certification directly, but through its credentialing center, the ANCC. Some NPs pursue certification in a specialty. Several organizations oversee certification, including the following:

• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
• American Psychiatric Nursing Association
• Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing
• Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
• National Certification Corporation for the Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing Specialties
• Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation

Post-nominal credentials and initials

See also: List of nursing credentials

Post-nominal initials NPs may use are regulated by the state in which they are licensed and include:

• RN (registered nurse)
• NP-C (nurse practitioner - certified; if certified by the AANP)
• APRN-BC (advanced practice registered nurse, board certified; no longer awarded, replaced with specialty-specific credentials by the ANCC [1])
• ARNP (advanced registered nurse practitioner)
• ACNPC (acute care nurse practitioner certified)[2]
• CNP (certified nurse practitioner)
• CPNP (certified pediatric nurse practitioner; if certified by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board PNCB)
• CPNP-PC (certified pediatric nurse practitioner - primary care; if certified by the PNCB [3])
• CPNP-AC (certified pediatric nurse practitioner - acute care; if certified by the PNCB [4])
• CRNP (certified registered nurse practitioner; used primarily in Pennsylvania[5] and Alabama[6])
• MSN (Master of Science in Nursing)
• MN (Master of Nursing)
• MA (Master of Arts in Nursing)
• PMC (Post-Master's Certificate)
• CAS (Certificate of Advanced Study)
• DNSc (Doctor of Nursing Science; equivalent to Ph.D., most D.N.Sc. programs now converted to PhD programs)
• PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
• DNP/DrNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice; clinical doctorate, not equivalent to DNSc or PhD)
• FAAN (Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing AAN)
• FAANP (Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners AANP)

Specialties

• ACNP (acute care NP)
• ANP (adult NP)
  (Specialty Programs: Adult Cardiovascular Care NP, Adult Primary Care NP, Adult Critical Care NP[7], Adult Acute Care NP[8])
• ENP (emergency NP)
• FNP (family NP)
• GNP (geriatric NP)
• HNP (holistic NP; APN program[9])
• NNP (neonatal NP)
• PMHNP (psychiatric/mental health NP)
• APMHNP (adult psychiatric/mental health NP)
• FPMHNP (family psychiatric/mental health NP)
• OHNP (occupational health NP)
• ONP (oncology NP)
• AONP (adult oncology NP)
• PONP (pediatric oncology NP)
• PCNP (palliative care NP; APN program [10])
• PNP (pediatric NP)
  
• PCCNP (pediatric critical care NP)
• ACPNP (acute care pediatric NP)
• PA/CCNP (pediatric acute/chronic care NP [11])
• WHNP (women's health NP)
• BC-PCM (board certified-palliative care management, discontinued by ANCC)
• BC-ADM (board certified-advanced diabetes management)
• ACHPN (advanced certified hospice & palliative nurse)
• "-C" and "-BC" indicate "Certified" and "Board Certified" by a national certifying organization such as the ANCC or AANP
  (eg, FNP-BC, NNP-BC, ANP-C, NP-C, etc)
• RN(EP) (registered nurse-extended practice; Manitoba, Canada)
• RN(NP) (registered nurse-nurse practitioner; Saskatchewan, Canada)

See also

• Nurse
• Registered Nurse
• List of counseling topics

External links

• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
• American Nurses Association (ANA)
• American Academy of Nursing (AAN)
• American College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP)
• The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
• Advance for Nurse Practitioners journal
• The Nurse Practitioner: The American Journal of Primary Health Care
• The Center for Nursing Advocacy
• NP Central
• NPACE - Nurse Practitioner Associates for Continuing Education
• Australian Nurse Practitioner Association (ANPA)
• South Australian Nurse Practitioner Association (SANPA)
• NPCanada.ca (The Canadian Nurse Practitioner)
• Nurse Practitioner Association of Manitoba (NPAM)
• The Canadian Nurse Practitioner Initiative (CNPI)
• The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB)