News Provided by American Association of Nurse Practitioners –
Patients, health care providers and local communities will come together the week of November 10 to celebrate National Nurse Practitioner Week, the annual recognition of the vital contributions of nurse practitioners (NPs) nationwide. For more than 50 years, NPs have championed the needs of patients and transformed our health care delivery system, leading the way to better health care for all.
“Patients are benefitting now more than ever from the comprehensive, patient-centered health care services NPs provide,” said Sophia L. Thomas, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, president of American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). “At a time when millions of patients in our country lack access to primary care providers in their own communities, NPs are growing the capacity of our health care workforce to meet patient demand and challenging regulatory roadblocks that prevent patients from choosing NPs as their health care provider.”
In every state, NPs assess patients, order and interpret tests, make diagnoses and provide treatment – including prescribing medications. NPs can be found in clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care centers, nursing homes and private practices nationwide. As clinicians who blend clinical expertise with an added emphasis on disease prevention and health management, NPs bring a comprehensive perspective to health care and are the health care provider of choice for millions of patients.