One of the most interesting parts of moving my practice from Indiana to Oregon has been the large amount of people I’ve met who haven’t known about the role of a Nurse Practitioner (NP).
A lot of people think that a NP is a nurse with an few additional skills. Yes, part of that is true. We all start out by becoming a Registered Nurse (RN). To become a RN, you can either obtain a 2-year Associate Degree or a 4-year Bachelor Degree in Nursing and pass a national exam. RNs then work under the supervision of a Medical Doctor (MD) or a Nurse Practitioner. RNs work in the hospital, in outpatient clinics, home care, etc. providing medical treatments or medications ordered by a MD/NP. They also provide education, explanations, and help to coordinate the care of patients. RNs are not licensed to diagnose diseases, order prescriptions, order testing, or interpret testing. When people call me a nurse, I am never offended, as that is a true statement, but, I don’t think they realize that being a NP allows me to offer much more.
A RN may continue her/his education to become a Nurse Practitioner. This requires achieving a Masters degree in Nursing and will likely soon require a Doctorate degree. The extent of care NPs are licensed to perform varies from state to state. In Oregon, a NP is licensed to work independently. There is no requirement to be under the supervision of a MD, as there is in some states.
NPs are trained to order and interpret medical tests, make diagnoses of diseases, and write prescriptions. NPs will refer to specialists when they feel a patient’s condition requires specialized care, but they are trained to handle primary and preventative care and disease management, as appropriate. In Oregon, we are required to pass a national certification exam. I am a certified by the AANP-American Association of Nurse Practitioners as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. Various certifications are available.
On a personal level, I have always preferred to work with NPs. We are trained from a holistic approach from the beginning and we always take the whole person into account with treatment. We think about the home situation and stress levels of our patients, and how the emotional, spiritual, social, as well as financial lives affect a person. We spend more time with patients and bring our nursing care into all of our work.
The benefit of working with a NP like me is that I am also trained in natural medicine, including herbal medicine, functional medicine, nutrition, and Holistic Pelvic Care™. I consider myself a bridge between conventional and natural medicines. I take into account all possibilities for treatment, choosing the least invasive for the person in front of me and integrate all appropriate therapies, practicing what I call Integrative Medicine. Sometimes that does include medications, because hey, sometimes drugs are good, and they are never my first choice.
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