What is a Nurse Practitioner?

Nurse Practitioners are primary health care providers who assess and manage both medical and nursing problems. They practice in ambulatory, acute, and long term care settings. Their practice emphasizes health promotion and maintenance, disease prevention and the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic diseases. These primary care providers provide nursing and medical services to individuals, families, and groups.

Nurse Practitioners take the patient's histories, conduct physical examinations, order, perform and interpret appropriate diagnostic and laboratory tests, prescriptions of pharmacological agents, treatments and nonpharmacological therapies for the management of the conditions which they diagnose.

Nurse Practitioners practice autonomously and in collaboration with health care professionals and other individuals to diagnose, treat, and manage the patient's health problems. They serve as health care researchers, interdisciplinary consultants, and patient advocates, They also teach and counsel individuals, families, and groups.