What is a Nurse Practitioner
The purpose of this assignment is to prepare you as future APRNs to communicate your professional role and clarify the difference between APRNs and other advanced practice healthcare providers. Once you have presented this, you will work on making this more concise and compelling since you will be asked these questions in your new role.
Using PowerPoint, create a video that is 4 minutes in length (WRITE THE SCRIPT TO PRESENT). Answer the following questions:
1. What is a Nurse Practitioner?
2. How does a Nurse Practitioner differ from a Physician Associate?
3. How does a Nurse Practitioner differ from a Physician?
4. Why don’t you just become a physician?
This assignment requires you to use at least three scholarly references. You may utilize a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation when recording your video and include your references on the last slide or you may submit a Microsoft Word document with the link to your video and include the references there. Include at least 150 words in the speaker notes
Please refer to the Grading Rubric (FIND IT ATTACHED) for details on how this activity will be graded.
What is a Nurse Practitioner?
A nurse practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who has completed graduate-level education and clinical training. NPs have a minimum of a master’s degree and are licensed to provide healthcare services, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications, and serve as a patient’s primary care provider (Roberts et al., 2020).
NPs practice in many healthcare settings including primary care, acute care, long-term care, emergency care, occupational health, and community health centers. The scope of practice for NPs varies depending on individual education and state regulations but generally allows NPs to assess patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, make diagnoses, develop and manage treatment plans including prescribing medications (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2022).
How does a Nurse Practitioner differ from a Physician Associate?
While both NPs and physician associates (PAs) are advanced practice providers, there are some key differences. PAs complete a master’s degree program but require physician supervision to practice. In contrast, NPs hold an advanced nursing degree (master’s or doctorate) and have prescriptive authority without requiring physician oversight in all states (Hooker & Berlin, 2002). Additionally, NPs focus on health promotion and disease prevention through a holistic approach, while PAs traditionally work within a more medical model under a physician’s direction.
How does a Nurse Practitioner differ from a Physician?
The main difference between NPs and physicians is their educational background and scope of practice. Physicians complete medical school and residency training, which typically takes 8-15 years post-baccalaureate. Physicians are licensed to practice medicine independently without oversight. In contrast, NPs complete 2-3 years of graduate nursing education and are licensed to practice with more autonomy than PAs but within their regulated scope as advanced nursing professionals (Buppert, 2020).
Why don’t you just become a physician?
While becoming a physician is an excellent career path for some, NP education offers an appealing alternative that aligns with many nurses’ interests and skills. The NP educational model builds upon nurses’ existing strengths in holistic care, health promotion, communication skills, and care coordination. For those wanting to practice more independently while still working collaboratively on an interprofessional healthcare team, the NP role allows for this. Additionally, the time commitment of NP education is generally shorter than medical school and residency training (Roberts et al., 2020). Overall, the NP role allows nurses to expand their practice and better meet growing demands for primary and specialty healthcare.
In summary, nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses trained at the graduate level to provide comprehensive healthcare services within their regulated scope of practice. While similar to physician associates and physicians in some respects, NPs offer a unique nursing perspective and set of skills to benefit patients and the healthcare system.
References:
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2022). What’s an NP? https://www.aanp.org/about/all-about-nps/whats-an-np
Buppert, C. (2020). Nurse practitioner’s business practice and legal guide. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Hooker, R. S., & Berlin, L. E. (2002). Trends in the supply of physician Helpants and nurse practitioners in the United States. Health Affairs, 21(5), 174-181.
Roberts, M. E., Wheeler, K. S., Peterson, L. E., Rayens, M. K., & Hahn, E. J. (2020). Nurse practitioner-led care compared with usual primary care for vulnerable populations: A systematic review. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 16(7), 495-501.
