What Is a Nurse Practitioner?

Today's nurse practitioner is a nationally certified registered nurse with advanced education who can help you stay physically and mentally healthy. That means they've proven the have the education, knowledge, and experience necessary to deliver comprehensive, specialized care.

As a member of your healthcare team, your nurse practitioner offers a variety of healthcare services including the ability to:

• Diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries
• Perform physical examinations
• Order and interpret diagnostic tests
• Write prescriptions
• Provide counseling and education

People appreciate nurse practitioners because they spend time with their patients, listen to their concerns, work with doctors and other healthcare professionals to deliver top-quality services, and provide preventive healthcare services.

Where can I Find a Nurse Practitioner?

You'll find nurse practitioners working in these and other settings:

• Offices providing healthcare
• Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
• Hospitals, Skilled Nursing, and Rehabilitation Facilities
• Workplaces and Schools
• In Private Homes and in your community

Nurse practitioners become nationally certified in a particular specialty after earning their Master's degree and concentrate on one or more areas of healthcare, including:

• Pediatrics
• Family Health
• Women's Health
• Geriatrics
• Adult Health
• Occupational Health
• School Health
• Mental Health

What If I Need a Specialist?

Just as physicians often refer to specialists in other areas of medicine, your nurse practitioner can work with you to determine which specialist is appropriate for your needs. Specialists commonly referred to include:

• Specialty Physicians
• Other Nurse Practitioners and Health Professionals
• Counselors
• Nutritionists

Healthcare Is Changing . . .

From insurance companies and businesses - right down to your local pharmacy. These changes also affect you - and require new answers to old questions . . .

• Who can help me stay healthy?
• Where should I go if I'm sick?
• Who can attend to my family's health?
• Who can I confide in and trust?

Today, more than ever, you need someone you can depend on to provide solutions to your healthcare problems. That's why you need a nurse practitioner on your healthcare team.