7 Things You Never Knew About A Nurse Practitioner

Though the career has been around for years, many are just learning about nurse practitioners. Though you may think you know everything about this role, there are quite a few things that haven’t been uncovered.

1. Different types of nurse practitioners may require vastly different training. For those that wish to practice in the field of obstetrics for example, they usually have to complete an additional one year of training in that field specifically. Not all nurse practitioner focuses and programs are created equal.
2. The licensing requirements may vary by state. Each state tends to have their own requirements for a nurse practitioner to get licensed. Though there are certain requirements that may be common, there are some that are individual to the state that the nurse practitioner wishes to get licensed within.
3. Oftentimes there is a requirement for a nurse practitioner to have real clinical experience. Though it may vary by state, there is often a requirement for a nurse practitioner to have real world experience working within a clinical environment. This is imperative to gain experience and to get hired down the road.
4. The real focus on this career came within the 1970’s. Though the role of a nurse practitioner is still gaining attention, it really came into the spotlight in the 1970’s. Though the role was essentially created in the 1960’s, there was a great deal of attention given to this role which catapulted it into the spotlight and made people chose it as a viable career path for many.
5. This is one of the fastest growing careers within the medical field. As the medical field is doing well even through tough economic times, there are many jobs for which there is high demand and an equal number of qualified candidates. The role of a nurse practitioner has quickly grown as one of the highest in demand and continues to grow exponentially.
6. Nurse practitioners may handle many of the same responsibilities as doctors. Though they don’t have the same qualifications as doctors do, nurse practitioners may be able to handle much of the same responsibilities. Not only can they handle patient care and consultations, but they may also play a vital role in diagnosing certain conditions and treatment of the patients.
7. Many times, the patient develops a closer relationship with their nurse practitioner than their doctor. Though this isn’t a certainty, many patients develop a close relationship with their nurse practitioner. As they often speak to patients more in depth, patients often develop a rapport with nurse practitioners that can’t be replicated.

Nurse practitioners play a vital role in patient care. This specialized career has quickly come into the spotlight, and continues to be a very important role within the medical community.

M. Frederick writes about how to attend one of the nurse practitioner programs.