What is a nurse practitioner? This is a common question among nursing students who are yet to choose their areas of specialization. Nurse practitioners (NPs) and registered nurses (RNs) play different roles in a healthcare facility. This post will explore some of the roles of nurse practitioners, their salary, career outlook as well as how to become one.<\/p>\n
The specific roles of nurse practitioners include the following;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Treating certain medical conditions and prescribing medication dosages.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Ordering diagnostic tests and interpreting the results.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Counseling patients and recommending interventions to modify certain behaviors associated with health risks.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Diagnosing and treating acute illnesses, injuries and infections.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Detecting and treating adverse drug reactions, with more focus on vulnerable populations.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Training patients on how to prevent or manage chronic illnesses.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Establishing treatment plans based on standard care, scientific rationale and professional practice guidelines and ethics.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Monitoring patients to determine their progress.<\/p>\n
Nurse practitioners perform more advanced duties when compared to registered nurses. As a result, healthcare facilities require those who apply for this position to hold advanced degrees, such as Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). They also require national certification as well as state’s Advanced Practice Registered Nurses(APRN) licensure.<\/p>\n