Accessibility Tools
What is a Nurse Practitioner?

What Exactly is a Nurse Practitioner?

The Nurse Practitioner (NP) profession is an exciting and growing area of healthcare. NPs have been providing primary, acute and specialty healthcare to patients of all ages and walks of life for nearly half a century. NPs assess patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, make diagnoses, and initiate/manage treatment plans. This includes prescribing medications and performing procedures within their scope of practice. As providers which combine clinical expertise in diagnosing and treating health conditions with an emphasis on health management, NPs bring a comprehensive perspective to health care. Americans make over 600 million visits to NPs each year!

All NPs must complete a master’s or doctoral degree program, and have advanced training beyond their initial registered nurse (RN) education. NPs work in both primary and specialty care settings, including both the orthopaedic and rehab departments here at KCBJ. NPs collaborate with physicians to provide high-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered health care.

What makes NPs unique?

They focus on the health and well-being of the whole person. With an emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention, and health education/counseling, NPs guide patients in making smarter health and lifestyle choices- this in turn can lower patients’ out-of-pocket costs.

“I am proud to be one of over 155,000 NPs practicing in the United States. Hopefully this information helps you understand the blend of nursing and medical care we provide.” -Laurel Short, APRN

Reference: aanp.org