Nurse Practitioner Career Profile
As the demand for health care increases and fewer physicians become
general practitioners and family care doctors, the need for nurse
practitioners to provide primary care services will continue to
increase.
Nurse Practitioners expand the horizons of the nursing profession by
providing a unique blend of nursing and medicine into their scope of
practice. Initially, the University of Colorado answered a much needed
call to more accessible health care for children by developing a Nurse
Practitioner program in 1965. Since that first program first began,
doors have opened with op****tunities for today's Nurse Practitioner
that include unprecedented autonomy, authority, income, and job
satisfaction. The demand for more Nurse Practitioners continues to
grow as they present a viable solution to the growing trend of fewer
physicians entering the field of family practice.
Registered nurses seeking a career that offers challenge as well as
autonomy find that the efforts in becoming a nurse practitioner are
well worth the end results. A nurse practitioner's duties and
responsibilities include tasks which were at one time only a
physician's prerogative. Nurse Practitioners regularly provide such
services as physical examinations, acquiring medical histories,
diagnosing and treating chronic infections and injuries, ordering and
*****sing diagnostic tests, and writing prescriptions, but let's take
a closer look at some of the things a nurse practitioner routinely
does throughout the day.
Encouraging and educating communities in regards to healthy lifestyles
are just two of the prime duties of nurse practitioners. The ability
to communicate with compassion and understanding in regards to health
care problems and solutions bridges the gap between professional and
patient. Through a number of tasks and duties the universal need for
health care is met. These duties include:
*****sing:
1=2E Obtain health and medical histories of patients.
2=2E Execute age based physical examinations.
3=2E Perform preventative screening tests such as hearing, vision, and
cancer tests.
4=2E Identify any risks the patient may have and outline needs of the
patient.
Diagnosing:
1=2E Order diagnostic tests appropriate to patient's needs
2=2E Evaluate patient health, medical history, and diagnostic tests
Managing Patient Care Plan:
1=2E Discern needs of family or community based on pertinent information
collected.
2=2E Implement a care plan that may include prescribing medications (the
legalities of nurse practitioners granted written prescriptions rights
differs from state to state at this point in time)
3=2E Provide and promote health care education
4=2E When warranted, make referrals to health care agencies or the
appropriate health care professional.
5=2E Continually re*****s and make adjustments to plan of care in order
to accomplish health care goals.
Beyond the scope of professional skills and duties character
attributes play a part in choosing to take the plunge into advancing
your career from registered nurse to nurse practitioner. If you
display good judgment, a level of maturity, compassion and
understanding, you're an excellent candidate. If you also have the
ability to inspire both those you care for, as well as other health
care providers and you remain calm in the face of emergencies, you're
just what your patient needs. A great op****tunity for independence and
professional autonomy exists for nurse practitioners. Nurse
Practitioners commonly specialize in practice areas that include:
1=2E Pediatrics Nurse Practitioners deal with infants, children, and
young adults encouraging valuable positive health behaviors, as well
as addressing childhood illness.
2=2E Neonatal Nurse Practitioners, in cooperation with other health care
professionals, are responsible for *****sing, diagnosing and managing
the care of newborns with significant health problems.
3=2E Family Nurse Practitioners offer primary health care for all ages
from infants to the elderly in terms of wellness and chronic and acute
illnesses.
4=2E The Nurse Mid-Wife or OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner focuses on issues
that face women and on pre-natal care and delivery of newborns.
5=2E Nurse Anesthetists administer 65% of the 27 million anesthetics
given to patients each year.
6=2E The Gerontologic Nurse Practitioners specialize in caring for and
treating the elderly. As more baby boomers age, this is a field that
will be in much demand.
7=2E Other specializations worth looking into include neurology,
nephrology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, cardiology, and
pulmonology.
The rewards of advancing your nursing career to a higher level of
education and practice are many and varied. In addition to the
increased level of autonomy and personal satisfaction involved, Nurse
practitioners earn anywhere from $70,000 to $120,000 plus per year
depending on years of experience, location, and specialization. While
Nurse Practitioners can readily find employment as colleagues
practicing in collaboration with physicians in their offices,
positions are abundant in hospitals, government agencies, HMOs, long
term care facilities, and all sorts of healthcare delivery providers.
Unlike Physician Assistants who must work under the supervision of a
physician, Nurse Practitioners practice independently under the
statutes of Nurse Practice Acts and can open their own practice or
practice in groups just like physicians. They can be the sole
authority and shoulder the entire responsibility of whatever kind of
clinic they wish to open and how it will be run. As the demand for
health care increases and fewer physicians become general
practitioners and family care doctors, the need for nurse
practitioners to provide primary care services will continue to
increase.
Being satisfied with a career choice brings a feeling of
accomplishment that goes well beyond salary. By acquiring control over
your own destiny the future looks brighter than ever. The
gratification of putting all your knowledge to work and seeing the
differences it makes in the lives of people, brings a feeling of
empowerment and goodwill to both community and the nurse practitioner.
Having the capacity to make independent decisions, to be in
authoritative positions, and even be completely autonomous, if
desired, greatly enhances the career satisfaction you'll enjoy as a
nurse practitioner.
An outstanding future awaits registered nurses who seek to advance
their careers by continuing their education, choosing to specialize,
and becoming a nurse practitioner. As baby boomers age, the need for
more nurse practitioners to fill the void will be paramount. A feeling
of satisfaction along with monetary and human reward eases the way
toward a decision of growing possibilities and outstanding
op****tunity.
Please explore the accredited online and campus based schools of
nursing that offer Nurse Practitioner Programs and Master's in Nursing
Science degrees and request free information from as many as you are
interested in: Explore Nursing Schools=BB
http://myonlinenursingdegree.com/nurse-practitioner-career-profile.html
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