Why Your Nurse Practitioner Can be Your Primary Care Provider

A nurse practitioner has the training and certification to diagnose patients, order medical tests and prescribe medication. Most nurse practitioners have hospital privileges that allow them to tend to their patients in hospital settings, where other medical specialists are close at hand in case a patient needs a referral.

This makes nurse practitioners uniquely qualified to take up the role of a primary care provider. With an ever-increasing shortage of medical professionals in many parts of the country, the nurse practitioner comes in to fill a healthcare gap. Here is how they do it.

The nurse practitioner and their approach to primary care

A nurse practitioner spends many years of training to become a medical health professional. Typically, a nurse practitioner first qualifies as a registered nurse before they pursue a graduate degree in nursing. Over the course of their training, a nurse practitioner acquires the skill and knowhow to:

• Examine a patient as part of the diagnostic process
• Order or perform medical tests and interpret the results as part of the diagnostic process
• Come up with a course of treatment based on the diagnosis
• Prescribe medication
• Where necessary, refer the patient to a medical specialist
• Provide advice and counseling that can help to manage a medical condition or prevent disease

Nurse practitioners focus on a holistic approach to healthcare. They prefer to offer preventive care where possible. Towards this end, a nurse practitioner will offer their patients periodic wellness checkups.

A nurse practitioner will also help patients to manage chronic conditions by providing regular care that involves monitoring the patient’s health, prescribing medication and overseeing therapy.

In other words, a nurse practitioner trains to acquires the skill and knowhow to provide primary care to patients with a wide range of medical needs.

Some nurse practitioners specialize in different fields of medicine

Much like a GP, a nurse practitioner can choose to offer primary care to patients across all age groups, as well as patients with varied medical conditions. Some nurse practitioners choose to train some more. They choose specialties at the start of their studies.

A nurse practitioner can specialize in family health, pediatric health, adult/gerontology care, women’s health, prenatal care or psychiatric health. In each of these specializations, a nurse practitioner will have some level of autonomy in treating patients and prescribing medication.

In some states, nurse practitioners are licensed to offer the same kind of primary care that a physician would, with the exception of surgical procedures.

Choose a nurse practitioner to be your primary healthcare provider

It is often much faster and easier to get an appointment with a nurse practitioner than it is to get one with a doctor. This means that healthcare becomes more easily accessible, thanks to nurse practitioners.

Because of their nursing backgrounds, nurse practitioners are also well-placed to give personalized, ongoing care to their patients. A nurse practitioner will be there for you through every milestone and illness, which is why you should come and see one at our practice in Seiling.

Here's how you reach us…

Request an appointment here: https://www.janeylhammonsnpc.com or call Janey L Hammons NP-C at (580) 922-4406 for an appointment in our Seiling office.

Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Nurse Practitioner in Seiling, OK.