What is a NP?

Nurse Practitioners (NP) are dedicated to bridging the gaps in healthcare to meet the needs of patients in California. NPs, working independently and in collaboration with physicians, diagnose and manage acute and chronic conditions, prescribe medications, educate and counsel patients on healthcare issues.

Some facts about Nurse Practitioners:

• Nurse Practitioners make many contributions to the health and well-being of the people in the communities they serve.
• Nurse Practitioner training programs were first developed 40 years ago. A shortage of doctors forced state governments to innovate, and a few Nurse Practitioners were
  certified, mostly, in pediatrics. From that modest beginning, the Nurse Practitioner profession has grown to fill an important and vital role in America's health care system.
• There are now more than 100,000 Nurse Practitioners serving the American public and over 10,000 in California alone.
• Nurse Practitioners are registered nurses, with advanced education and advanced clinical training, most with master's or post-master's degrees.
• Nurse Practitioners diagnose acute and chronic conditions, prescribe medications, treat illnesses and counsel patients on health care issues, in coordination with physicians and other health care providers.
• Nurse Practitioners provide health care to people of all ages and in diverse health care settings, such as private office practice, hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, state and local health departments, and managed care facilities.
• Nurse practitioners also improve the health care system's ability to reach underserved populations. Primary health care is desperately needed in many urban and central city communities.
• More than 20 percent of Nurse Practitioners practice in rural settings with populations of less than 25,000, and of the 62 percent who work in cities with populations of more than 50,000, more than 39 percent work in inner-city areas.
• Nurse Practitioners play a critical role in meeting California’s medical needs. Working hand-in-hand with other professionals, Nurse Practitioners improve the flexibility and responsiveness and efficiency of our health care system. Because of their focus on primary care, disease prevention, and counseling, Nurse Practitioners serve as health care first responders for many families. From weight management, blood pressure, dangerous infections, injuries, Nurse Practitioners have the frontline view of health care in the country.