#2- What Does it Mean to be an NP?
What it “Means” to be a Nurse Practitioner is the topic of this second Health Interventions For Your Practice podcast!
○ I will be covering:
■ A little history of the evolution of the profession
■ What our role as a nurse practitioner involves
■ The power you have in this degree
■ ...and so much more!
If you are here, you already have an idea of “what” a Nurse Practitioner is. You most likely ARE a NP, have an NP colleague or maybe you are considering becoming an NP. But have you ever thought about what it MEANS to be a NP?
As for “what” a NP is….
There is a lot of confusion in the actual role sometimes. I am very aware of this from both public and professional interactions on the subject. I cringe when I hear “A NP is like a doctor”. A person with that view is most likely associating the roles with some commonly shared skill sets, practice locations and patient interactions. I take no offense to the association, just a desire to help with perceptions. I will say though, that if you are planning to pursue becoming a NP or if you made it all the way through a NP program and still make that statement, shame on you. You see, I am very proud of my profession and the role we play in healthcare. I am passionate about upholding the integrity of this profession and support maintaining a reputation as expert clinicians that are able to provide care to diverse populations in a unique way. With all that said, let’s get into a brief little background and the technical definitions of an NP.
The first NP program dates back to 1965, started by Dr Loretta Ford. There are now over 270,000 NPs in the US.
Webster’s Dictionary (from 1967) defines an NP as a registered nurse who is qualified through advanced training to assume some of the duties and responsibilities formerly assumed only by a physician.
In a few more modern searches for the definition :
Google (considered an authority by many these days) says an NP is a nurse who is qualified to treat certain medical conditions without the direct supervision of a doctor.
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, (more my ideas of an authority in this subject) states NPs are educated at the graduate level to provide "primary, acute, chronic, and specialty care to patients of all ages".
Then there’s Good ole Wikipedia – which by the way does NOT have to validate any of its information- says A nurse practitioner is an Advanced Practice Nurse and a type of mid-level provider. NPs are trained to assess patient needs, order and interpret diagnostic and laboratory tests, diagnose disease, formulate and prescribe treatment plans. NP training covers basic disease prevention, coordination of care, and health promotion, but does not provide the depth of expertise needed to recognize more complex conditions. I was almost impressed with that definition until the end!
No wonder there is confusion! There is such broad and misrepresentative array of definitions! How would you define what an NP is?
An NP is an APRN. So Lets define what a nurse is. Across most defining resources, A nurse is consistently defined as a person who cares for the sick or infirm.
But the definition I love and that says it all is that from the International Counsel of Nurses-
Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles.
This definition adds the “meaning”. We care, we advocate and we educate! Add the Advanced Education at a Master’s Level or above to a registered nurse that has the gained the skills and experience in their profession of working directly with and caring for patients and you have a Nurse Practitioner. That my friends is powerful and is shaping the healthcare system now and the future of healthcare.
The thing that sets us apart and defines the NP profession is the CARE, ADVOCATE and EDUCATE. We care enough to educate which leads to a patient centered approach, which leads to improved outcomes, which leads to patient satisfaction. WIN< WIN> WIN!
Now, that we have the meaning of being an NP, what can we DO as an NP? The sky’s the limit! You can be in a hospital, primary care, pediatrics, long term care, research, urgent care, interventional units, specialty practices, MedSpas, education….SO many paths to take. Learn from every encounter and every experience. Find your passion and follow it wherever it takes you.
There are currently over 270,000 NPs in the US now. Each state has a board that governs the practice of an NP. Many states allow independent NP practices with full autonomy. Some states require “COLLABORATION” with a physician for prescription authority or to serve as a resource/mentor. The collaboration can be for a certain time frame or until the NP has had a certain number of years experience as an NP. So always check with your board.
Are you feeling good about the NP path right now? Maybe a little proud? Well you should!!
This is where the seasoned NPs stand a little taller and smiles to themselves, possibly having some fond career moments flash before their eyes. And the newbies… may be having a mix of pride and enthusiasm with a touch of overwhelming panic and insecurity. To my Seasoned colleagues.. Thank you for all you have done to move this profession forward and to make a difference. Pay it forward. If you have the opportunity to help a colleague with less experience do it. Newbies (and please take no offense to that reference)..DO NOT PANIC! This is all part of the process. Find a trusted colleague or resource to help out when you are perplexed. Continue your education whenever you can. Learn from every patient encounter! And keep listening to this podcast of course! It’s going to keep getting better. We are going to cover sooo many topics! But I can’t move you forward until I’ve set the foundation. Sound familiar? Learning from each encounter or in this case episode.
So what does it Mean to be an NP to me? Personally it is more than my job or a degree. It is an honor to do what I do. It Is part of who I am. I love feeling like I have made a difference in someone’s life every day. I hope to make an impact on you and your practice as well. I would love to hear from all of my NP colleagues out there listening about your meaning and feelings on what an NP is and where this career has taken you or maybe where you are hoping it will take you if you’re still completing your degree. You can share your comments and thoughts.
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I WOULD REALLY LOVE you to get some discussion started! Tell me what being an NP means to you. Share some experiences. ❤️
