What's a Nurse Practitioner?

What exactly IS a nurse practitioner? Has suggested that I answer this question in the form of a blog so that others may understand my new profession. So here it goes:








1) I have a Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a specialization as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). Similar to doctors, nurses who pursue their MSN may decide to specialize in an area of medicine. Typically, they choose areas in which they currently work as an RN (neonatal, geriatric, trauma, neuro, etc). Even though I work in the Pediatric ICU, I decided to pursue a family medicine specialty because I did not want to be SO specialized that I could only see children under the age of 18 years. With an FNP degree, I am able to see patients from the time they are born (neonates) to the time they die (elderly). So you can see, that I had a HUGE population of people to learn about!
FYI: By 2015, most nursing schools in the US will phase out the "MSN" degree and transition to a doctoral degree called the Doctorate in Nursing Practice or "DNP".

2) I see my own patients independent from a doctor. If I find a family practice to work in, I will follow my own patients and see a variety of medical complaints. For example, I can do annual physicals, GYN exams, and manage high cholesterol and hypertension.

3) I can prescribe medications. Nurse practitioners in the state of Maryland lobbied to have prescriptive authority and won. Now, I can prescribe all types of medications (with an appointment, of course!)

4) What makes an NP different than an MD? In school, we not only learned how to treat illnesses, but maintain health and change unhealthy lifestyles. The core belief of nursing is "health promotion, disease prevention". I can't emphasize this theory enough. If you promote health and prevent disease in the first place, then you will most likely never get sick enough to be in the hospital. For example, instead of solely treating high cholesterol by prescribing a cholesterol-lowering medication, NPs have to dig deeper and find the ROOT cause of high cholesterol. Is it lack of exercise? High fat diet? Genetics? We put emphasis on starting a consistent exercise program and reduced fat diet that will not only lower cholesterol, but improve cardiovascular health, certain cancers, and type II diabetes.

My personal thought: Most patients that comment about NPs say that NPs seem to listen more to what the patient is saying. Bottom line: NPs were once bedside nurses. Nurses have learned compassion and patient advocacy by taking care of BOTH patients and their families in their most vulnerable state. I have learned a tremendous amount of compassion by working in the ICU. Sadly, there have been numerous times when I had physically pick up a grieving mother off the floor and console the rest of the family when their child has died.

5) Want a "legal" description of my profession? Each state has a different defintion of what a nurse practitioner can and cannot do. Progressive states, like Maryland, even allow NPs to start their own practice. The only stipulation is to have an MD be available by phone or in-house for "second-opinions". Check out the MD Board of Nursing's Scope and Standards of Practice by clicking HERE.