Nurse Practitioner ProgramsNurse practitioner programs enable aspiring nurses to become practitioners in a specific niche segment. NPs or nurse practitioners are essentially registered nurses or rns who take advanced levels of training in specific niches. This level is of the doctorate or Master's degree level. The nurses are also trained to diagnose and manage complex as well as common medical problems. Such practitioner are responsible for providing a vast array of healthcare services within clinics. Common Responsibilities The common responsibilities as provided from the nurse practitioner programs range across one state to another. This is because every state has its own unique regulations pertaining to nurse practitioner responsibilities. In certain states across the US, the NPs work with complete autonomy and independence while in other states there exists a collaborative agreement with the physician for the NP to practice. However, typical responsibilities include conducting physical exams on patients and obtaining the medical history, interpretation of diagnostic studies, treating, diagnosing, managing and evaluating chronic illnesses in patients. Sometimes, basic functions like administration of a vaccine or flushot is also required to be performed by the NP. Other Roles Some of the nurse practitioner programs advocate nurses to treat chronic as well as acute conditions in the patients. This is performed through a comprehensive process of history taking, physical therapy, patient examination, ordering therapies and tests for patients within the scope of practice as outlined in the responsibilities of the NP. Thus, patients usually approach an NP or nurse practitioner for the first point of contact in terms of a healthcare provider. Patients belonging to different demographics and age groups approach NPs to handle varied diseases and conditions. Where Can They Practice Once the nurses complete the nurse practitioner programs, they can choose to practice in a wide array of settings. For example, they can work in health departments, community clinics, urgent care facilities, health centers, hospice care, hospitals, HMOs or health maintenance organizations, public as well as private schools, colleges and universities, NP offices and practices, veterinarian administration centers, private or physician medical practices, nursing homes etc. Education And Licensing In order to pass the nurse practitioner programs successfully, the nurses need to finish the requisite education as well as training necessary to become an RN or registered nurse. The first requirement to become an RN is to get either an ASN or Associate of Science in Nursing or get a BSN or Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Otherwise, the student would need to complete at least the diploma program in nursing. In addition, the student should have some prior experience in dealing with direct patient caring especially for the chronic or acutely ill patients. Most ASN programs are provided from junior and community colleges and take two years for completion. The BSN programs are provided from universities and colleges and require four years for completion. The existing NP programs provided by colleges and universities are at the post-master degree level or Master's degree levels. All the states within the US need a certification at the national board level for NPs before they can start practicing. |