What are Nurse Practitioners?

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are a separately regulated, licensed class of nurses who autonomously provide comprehensive health care across the lifespan. NPs are trained at the master’s or doctoral level enabling them to :

• Autonomously diagnose, treat and manage acute and chronic illnesses
• Order and interpret lab and diagnostic tests
• Prescribe medications
• Perform medical procedures
• Refer patients to specialists and other care providers
• Work independently and as part of teams integrating clinical expertise with evidence-based practice to promote health, prevent illness and provide comprehensive care

NPs are health-care professionals who treat the whole person, an approach that includes : 

• Addressing needs relating to a person’s physical and mental health
• Gathering medical history
•  Focusing on how an illness affects a person’s life and family
• Offering ways for a person to lead a healthy life
• Teaching persons how to manage chronic illness

NPs are also educators and researchers who can be consulted by other health-care team members