A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse who has completed specific advanced nursing education (generally a master's degree) and training in the diagnosis and management of common as well as complex medical conditions. Nurse Practitioners provide a broad range of health care services.

In some states, NPs admit and follow their patients in hospitals. Some NPs work in emergency rooms evaluating, diagnosing and treating patients with lacerations and fractures. In a few states, NPs are allowed to open their own clinics and offices.

In the US, NPs are licensed by the state in which they practice, and have a national board certification (usually through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners). Nurse Practitioners can be trained and nationally certified in areas of pediatrics, geriatrics, women's health, psychiatry and acute care.

Nurse Practitioners treat both acute and chronic conditions through comprehensive history taking, physical exams, physical therapy, ordering tests and therapies for patients, within their scope of practice. An NP can serve as a patient's "point of entry" health care provider, and see patients of all ages depending on their designated scope of practice. The core philosophy of the field is individualized care. Nurse Practitioners focus on patients' conditions as well as the effects of illness on the lives of the patients and their families.

Scope of practice

Prose: date=September 2007 Because the profession is state regulated, care provided by NPs varies. A nurse practitioner's job may include the following:

• Diagnosing, treating, evaluating and managing non-life-threatening acute and chronic illness and disease (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure)
• Obtaining medical histories and conducting physical examinations
• Ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic studies (e.g., routine lab tests, bone x-rays, EKGs)
• Prescribing physical therapy and other rehabilitation treatments
• Providing prenatal care and family planning services
• Providing well-child care, including screening and immunizations
• Providing primary and specialty care services, health-maintenance care for adults, including annual physicals
• Providing care for patients in acute and critical care settings
• Performing minor surgeries and procedures (with additional training and usually under supervision) (e.g., dermatological biopsies, suturing, casting)
• Counseling and educating patients on health behaviors, self-care skills, and treatment options
• Not formally trained for surgical assisting

Practice settings

Prose: date=September 2007

NPs practice in all U.S. states. The institutions in which they work include the following:

• Community clinics and nurse-managed health centers
• Health departments
• Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
• Home health care agencies
• Hospitals and hospital clinics including ER, urgent care, wards, and intensive care units
• Hospice centers
• Nurse Practitioner offices
• Nursing homes
• Nursing schools
• Physician offices
• Public health departments
• School/college clinics
• Veterans Administration facilities
• Walk-In Clinics