Nurse Practitioners: Commonly Asked Questions
What is a nurse practitioner?
A nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse with advanced academic and clinical education and
experience who are qualified to meet the majority of patients’ health care needs, such as managing
most common and many chronic illnesses. Moreover, NPs promote a holistic approach to health
care and emphasize the overall health and wellness of their patients.
Where do nurse practitioners provide patient care?
With a strong emphasis on primary care, NPs are employed within several specialties, including
neonatology, nurse-midwifery, pediatrics, school health, family and adult health, women’s health,
mental health, home care, geriatrics and acute care. NPs focus largely on health maintenance,
disease prevention, counseling and patient education. However, they are fully qualified to be
involved in patient diagnosis and treatment, which also includes some prescriptive authority.
Scope of an NP’s practice varies depending upon state regulations.
What level of education must nurse practitioners complete?
Today, most NPs complete graduate-level education preparation that leads to a Master’s degree.
A Master’s degree is required to sit for a national certification examination.
What are some of the advantages to nurse practitioner care?
NPs are uniquely focused on “caring” as opposed to “curing.” NPs combine nursing education and
experience with through education in medical care for their specialty area. They take the “whole
person” into account, not just the immediate ailment. NPs provide patient-centered care. Theya re
specifically trained to educate and support individuals and families, helping them change behaviors
and make informed, individual choices about their health and their health care
How cost-effective are nurse practitioners?
Very. NPs provide high-quality, cost-effective care. One study compared the costs of care for two
primary care problems and found that the cost of care given by NPs was 20 percent less than the
cost of care given by physicians.
In what states can nurse practitioners prescribe medication?
NPs are documented as safe, high-quality health care providers, and have varying degrees of
prescriptive authority in all 50 United States. Following is a break down of prescriptive rights:
States where NPs can prescribe (including controlled substances) independent of any physician
involvement: AK, AZ, DC, IA, ME, MT, NH, NM, OR, UT, WA, WI, WY.
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States where NPs can prescribe (including controlled substances) with some degree of physician
involvement: AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, MI, MN, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY,
OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VT, WV.
States where NPs can prescribe (excluding controlled substances) with some degree of physician
involvement: AL, KY, LA, MO, MS, NV, OH, TX, VA.
States where NPs may receive and dispense drug samples: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, HI,
IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK,
OR, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY.
Can anyone see a nurse practitioner?
Yes. People interested in seeing a NP can ask their current health care provider if a NP works in
that office, and ask for an appointment to meet the NP.
What is the nurse practitioners’ relationship with physicians?
NPs practice in collaboration with a physician, which means that the collaborating physician agrees
to accept referrals from the NP and will be available for consultation as needed.
How are nurse practitioners different from physician assistants?
While NPs and PAs often perform similar functions, there are important distinctions between these
health care professionals. PAs work under the supervision of a physician. They must meet the
entrance requirements of a PA program, but that does not necessarily include a background in
medicine or nursing. In contrast, NPs may work independently or in collaboration with a physician
and must have an RN license before being accepted into an NP educational program.
How do nurse practitioners feel about access to health care?
Access to cost-effective, quality health care is a right of every American. Furthermore, individuals
should have the right to access the health care provider of their choice. Legislatures at the national
and state levels should advocate for individuals to have reasonable access to health care services.
NPs should be active partners and providers of health care as they ensure delivery of quality health
care in a cost-effective manner.