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What
is a Nurse Practitioner?
A Nurse
Practitioner is an advanced practice Registered Nurse (R.N.). In order
to be qualified as a Nurse Practitioner the R.N. must earn a Bachelor of
Science degree in Nursing as well as a Master of Science degree in
Nursing. Extensive clinical training experience is required.
Nurse
Practitioner programs are administered in the graduate schools of
approved colleges and universities. The core curriculum includes 1)
advanced health assessment, 2) pharmacology, 3) pathophysiology, 4)
health promotion and disease prevention, and 5) differential diagnosis
and disease management. In addition, Nurse Practitioners are
educated in a specific specialty. These
programs include: Acute Care Nurse Practitioners, Adult Nurse
Practitioners, Family Nurse Practitioners, Gerontological Nurse
Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and School Nurse
Practitioner.
Today there are
more than 50,000 Masters level prepared Nurse Practitioners providing
primary care services in the United States. Their numbers have increased
by over 200 percent in the last ten years. The federal government
encourages the utilization of Nurse Practitioners. Nurse Practitioners
are autonomous health care providers. In 1998, to provide increased
access to health care, the United States Congress authorized direct
Medicare reimbursement for Nurse Practitioner services.
Research
indicates that Advanced Practice R.N.s (also called APRNs or Nurse
Practitioners) perform as well as physicians in their areas of
preparation. A 1993 study conducted by the American Nurses Association
(ANA) found that Nurse Practitioners delivered primary health care as
competently as physicians, and for 40% less cost per patient visit. The
ANA study also found that Nurse Practitioners spend more time with their
patients, and provide more health education activities than do
physicians. ANA President, Mary Foley states, “[M]ost nurse
practitioners do not require physician supervision or review of either
their practice or prescriptive authority. All APRNs work in
collaboration with one or more physicians—they are colleagues and work
in partnerships with one another”.
APRNs have the
legal authority to write prescriptions in all fifty states. They conduct
research, serve in policy roles, and are competent administrators. A
Gallup survey conducted in 1993 found
the vast majority of Americans (86%) are willing to receive
everyday health services from an APRN. That number is likely to be even
higher today.
The RMC has long
valued and supported the unique contributions of Registered Nurses in
our healthcare setting. In
addition to a Masters level Nursing Education specialist, The Rochester
Medical Center is currently offering the services of three Masters in
Nursing, Nurse Practitioners.
R. Shea-Atallah, J.D., M.A., B.S.N., B.S., R.N.
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