Every year, Americans make more than 916 million visits to a Nurse Practitioner as primary care providers, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. As the health care system becomes more complicated, it can be difficult to find a good primary care provider for the long term. This may be why the popularity of nurse practitioners is growing. Read on to find out why you should also choose a nurse practitioner as a primary care provider.
Research in clinical settings has shown that nurse practitioners can provide quality health care for patients. More than 80% of nurse practitioners are trained in primary care, and more than half of these health care providers have privileges in hospitals. This means that they can admit patients and order health services for them.
Nurse practitioners can also perform many of the same functions as doctors. For patients looking for a general primary care provider to diagnose diseases and offer education, nurse practitioners can perform these duties. Nurse practitioners can also prescribe medications, making them an ideal choice when patients need medication.
A nurse practitioner can sometimes provide more personalized care than a doctor. They focus on the whole person, not only that person’s health condition. A nurse practitioner will factor in an individual’s lifestyle and mental health when evaluating the patient. This means that the practitioner can give the patient advice that will help reduce that patient’s risk of getting diseases.
The nurse practitioner will work to get to know the patient. For example, if a patient is overweight and has high cholesterol, the practitioner can ask questions and may find out that the patient is too busy to cook. The patient may be getting fast food, which contributes to the weight and cholesterol problem. While medications may be necessary in some cases, the nurse practitioner may advise this patient to minimize the fast food intake.
Like doctors, nurse practitioners must go through several years of education. They must earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), which takes an average of four years. Nurse practitioners must also receive graduate nursing education – either an MSN or a DNP. This graduate nursing education takes an average of two to four years.
After this education, a nurse practitioner must receive licensing by the state. These nurse practitioners must receive a registered nurse (RN) license and state NP licensure. Depending on the nurse’s specialty, it may be necessary to obtain additional certifications from various nursing organizations.
There are many reasons to choose a nurse practitioner as a primary care provider. Nurse practitioners can perform many of the same functions as a doctor while providing a holistic approach to the patient. A nurse practitioner will work with the patient to determine what lifestyle choices may be factoring into a disease. These health care providers can provide a clear plan to meet a patient’s health goals.
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