Skip navigation
MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You U.S. National Library of MedicineNational Institutes of Health
Contact Us FAQs Site Map About MedlinePlus
español Home Health Topics Drugs & Supplements Medical Encyclopedia Dictionary News Directories Other Resources

 

Medical Encyclopedia

Other encyclopedia topics:  A-Ag  Ah-Ap  Aq-Az  B-Bk  Bl-Bz  C-Cg  Ch-Co  Cp-Cz  D-Di  Dj-Dz  E-Ep  Eq-Ez  F  G  H-Hf  Hg-Hz  I-In  Io-Iz  J  K  L-Ln  Lo-Lz  M-Mf  Mg-Mz  N  O  P-Pl  Pm-Pz  Q  R  S-Sh  Si-Sp  Sq-Sz  T-Tn  To-Tz  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  0-9 

Nurse practitioner (NP)

Printer-friendly versionEmail this page to a friend
Contents of this page:

Illustrations

Types of health care providers
Types of health care providers

Definition    Return to top

A nurse practitioner (NP) is a nurse with a graduate degree in advanced practice nursing.

Information    Return to top

The NP is allowed to provide a broad range of health care services, which may include:

Nurse practitioner work in a variety of settings, including family practice, women's health, pediatrics, geriatric, neonatology, school health, emergency, oncology, cardiology, nephrology, and primary care.

Some nurse practitioners work in clinics without doctor supervision, and others work together with doctors as a joint health care team. Their scope of practice and authority depends on state laws. For example, some states allow nurse practitioners to write prescriptions, while other states do not.

Like many other professions, nurse practitioners are regulated at two different levels. Licensure is a process that takes place at the state level in accordance with specific state laws. In contrast, certification is established through national organizations with requirements for minimal professional practice standards being consistent across all states.

LICENSURE

Laws specific to NP licensure vary greatly from state to state. The current trend is in the direction of more states requiring master's degree educational preparation and national certification. In some states, NP practice is completely independent, while some states require proof of a collaborative MD only for prescriptive practice privileges, and other states require proof of a collaborative MD for licensure at all. A few states still do not have specific nurse practitioner licensure or recognize practice by NPs.

CERTIFICATION

National certification is offered through various nursing organizations (such as the American Nurses' Association, Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, and others), most of which require completion of an approved master's-level NP program prior to taking the certification exam. The exams tend to be offered in specialty areas such as family nursing, pediatrics, school nursing, adult nursing, women's health care, acute care, and geriatrics.

Re-certification involves proof of continuing education. Only certified nurse practitioners may use a "C" either in front of or behind their other credentials (e.g., Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, FNP-C, Certified Family Nurse Practitioner). Some nurse practitioners may use the credential APN rather than NP, denoting advanced practice nurse, a broader category that also includes clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists.

Update Date: 9/29/2006

Updated by: Wendy Smith, R.N., The West Clinic, Memphis, TN. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M. Logo

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2008, A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.