National Nurse Practitioner Week celebrated Nov 10-16

Nurse practitioners provide more than 155,000 solutions to the health care crisis

National Nurse Practitioner Week celebrated Nov 10-16

 

As the health care provider shortage continues to top the national agenda, it is important that the public be aware that there are more than 155,000 nurse practitioners (NPs) in the United States who provide high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered care to patients across the country.

 

NPs are licensed, expert clinicians with advanced education (most have master’s and many have doctorate degrees) and extensive clinical training who provide primary, acute and specialty health care services. In addition to providing a full range of services, NPs work as partners with their patients, guiding them to make educated health care decisions and healthy lifestyle choices. The confidence that patients have in NP-delivered health care is evidenced by the more than 600 million visits made to NPs every year.

 

NPs are informed regarding the unique concerns of diverse patient populations and in touch with the needs of each individual. Through a partnership with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and Joining Forces (a White House initiative to raise awareness of the health care needs of veterans, active service members and their families), NPs are increasingly well-prepared to care for this important patient group.

 

National Nurse Practitioner Week, November 11 – 17, 2012 is a time to celebrate these exceptional health care providers and to remind lawmakers of the importance of removing outdated barriers to practice so that NPs will be allowed to practice to the full extent of their experience and education. Nurse practitioners are informed, in touch and involved, making them the health care providers of choice for millions and a solution to the primary care crisis in America.

 

Jan Hamilton, MS, PMHNP-BC is the Founder and owner of Doorways, LLC in Arizona. She is a Nationally Board Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who specializes in adolescent treatment. Her desire is to provide quality psychological, nutritional and psychiatric care for adolescents and young adults in an outpatient, faith-based setting. Doorways has been open for 4 ½ years and has seen significant growth as they address the needs in this difficult developmental time period of adolescence and young adulthood.

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The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is the oldest and largest national professional organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. AANP represents the interests of approximately 155,000 nurse practitioners in the country and advocates for the active role of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered and personalized health.