HOME > Nurse
Practitioner
Nurse
Practitioners
Needed.....NOW!
(This
Page just got a
tremendous boost from one
of our visitors, an
extremely busy nurse
in Florida who is
sharing her experiences
at two of the most
interesting blogs that
you are likely to find
anywhere.
She
previously obtained
her BSN online and is now
working toward the
NP.)
Quick
update: We've
just been informed that
she has finished her
Nurse Practitioner
schooling.
CONGRATS,
lady. We're truly
looking forward to your
new adventures.
Keep us
posted.
Her two blogs are packed with
just the kind of information
you may be seeking. You'll find
the URLS for both at the bottom
of this
page.
The
Nurse Practitioner is at the
forefront of the movement to
modernize patient services. The
NP provides an integrated
range of care options for
patients.
Nurse
practitioners are registered
nurses with advanced knowledge
and decision-making skills in
assessment, diagnosis and
health-care management of
patients and
clients.
A
nurse practitioner (NP) is a
nurse with a graduate degree in
advanced practice nursing. This
allows him or her to provide a
broad range of health care
services,
including:
Taking the
patient's history, performing a
physical
exam.
Diagnosing,
treating, and managing acute
and chronic diseases, and
ordering appropriate laboratory
tests and
procedures
Providing
prescriptions and coordinating
referrals
Promoting
healthy activities in
collaboration with the
patient
Nurse
practitioner specialties
include family practice,
women's health, pediatrics,
geriatric, neonatology, school
health, emergency, oncology and
primary
care.
Some
nurse practitioners work in
clinics without physician
supervision, and others work
together with physicians as a
joint health care team. Their
scope of practice and authority
depends on state
laws.
Like
many other professions, nurse
practitioners are regulated at
two different
levels.
Licensure is
a process that takes place at
the state level in accordance
with specific state
laws.
In contrast,
certification is established
through national organizations
with requirements for
minimal professional
practice standards being
consistent across all
states.
Laws
specific to NP licensure vary
greatly from state to state.
More and more states are
requiring master's degree
educational preparation and
national
certification.
In some states, NP
practice is completely
independent, while some states
require proof of a
collaborative MD only for
prescriptive practice
privileges, and other states
require proof of a
collaborative MD for licensure
at all.
A few
states still do not have
specific nurse practitioner
licensure or recognize practice
by NPs.
National
certification is offered
through various nursing
organizations (such as the
American Nurses' Association,
Pediatric Nursing Certification
Board, and others), most of
which require completion of an
approved master's-level NP
program prior to taking the
certification
exam.
The
exams tend to be offered in
specialty areas such as family
nurse practitioner, pediatric
nurse practitioner, school
nurse practitioner, adult nurse
practitioner, women's health
care nurse practitioner, and
geriatric nurse practitioner.
Re-certification involves proof
of continuing
education.
Only
certified nurse practitioners
may use a "C" either in front
of or behind their other
credentials (e.g., Certified
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner,
FNP-C, Certified Family Nurse
Practitioner). Some nurse
practitioners may use the
credential APN rather than NP,
denoting advanced practice
nurse, a broader category that
also includes clinical nurse
specialists, certified nurse
midwives, and nurse
anesthetists.
The
nurse practitioner role offers
specific populations of health
consumers easier access to
needed health services, through
extended nursing
practice.
Nurse
practitioners have a scope of
practice that is wider than
that normally available to
nurses. The expanded role
includes the direct referral of
consumers to other health
professionals, prescribing of a
designated and agreed list of
medications and ordering of a
designated and agreed list of
diagnostic
investigations.
The
Nurse Practitioner's
Place
www.arnp.blogspot.com and
Nurse
Practitioner
News
www.blogcharm.com/npnews
Click Here for
Info
About:
Online Nurse
Training
Bookmark this site and share it
with a friend
(CTRL+D)
Still
Haven't Found Your
Answers. Check the
Rest of Our Pages; then
Check out the Rest Of the
Internet
Click Here for
Info
About:
Online Nurse
Training
|
