2 answers
Madison
Student
Grafton, Ohio
5
Questions
Asked
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What is a nurse practitioner responsible for in the workplace?
Hi, my name is Maddy and I am a sophomore in high school. I love the idea of helping children and just working with them, but I don't really know all of what a nurse practitioner does. I'd like to get to know the job and all it entails before I ever seriously considered it as a future career. #children #nursepractitioner
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2 answers
Naomi Andrews
Midwife/Nurse Practitioner
7
Answers
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Updated
Naomi’s Answer
Hi Madison,
Pediatrics is considered a subspecialty of nursing and/or medicine. As a nurse practitioner it is our job to assess, diagnosis, treat, intervene, and evaluate the care we have given no matter the population. For example if a child comes in with a rash it is our job to check it out and decide what we think it is as well as ordering the treatment for it and making sure we follow up to make sure it gets better. As a nurse practitioner you could go the route of family NP which is a general practitioner and takes care of people in all developmental stages of life or you could specialize more specifically in to the care of children. The care of children can be difficult because depending on the age and developmental level a child may not be able to communicate their feelings or a history of how the issue began kind of similar to what vets go through in taking care of animals. Some people find challenges like this particularly exciting; it all depends on your goals and aspirations. Hope this helped a little!
Pediatrics is considered a subspecialty of nursing and/or medicine. As a nurse practitioner it is our job to assess, diagnosis, treat, intervene, and evaluate the care we have given no matter the population. For example if a child comes in with a rash it is our job to check it out and decide what we think it is as well as ordering the treatment for it and making sure we follow up to make sure it gets better. As a nurse practitioner you could go the route of family NP which is a general practitioner and takes care of people in all developmental stages of life or you could specialize more specifically in to the care of children. The care of children can be difficult because depending on the age and developmental level a child may not be able to communicate their feelings or a history of how the issue began kind of similar to what vets go through in taking care of animals. Some people find challenges like this particularly exciting; it all depends on your goals and aspirations. Hope this helped a little!
Sue Butler
Manager
13
Answers
Lansing, Michigan
Updated
Sue’s Answer
Madison you are asking a very good question. Generally, nurse practitioners can do many of the same duties/responsibilities as medical physicians. They can exam patients, order tests, assist in surgery, admit/discharge patients from facilities, order medications, etc. You need to know what state you plan to practice in after you receive your degree and pass the necessary state exams. Each state has what is referred to as a "Scope of Practice" which outlines what a nurse practitioner can and cannot do and if those services need to be supervised by a medical doctor.
I would recommend that you research the state agency that oversees licensing of nurse practitioners (in Ohio) for instance. Talk to individuals who are working as nurse practitioners to get a sense of what they do. Their duties could differ depending on the specialty they work in and what the arrangement or agreement is with the facility or medical practice they work with as well as their scope of practice in their state.
Good luck.
I would recommend that you research the state agency that oversees licensing of nurse practitioners (in Ohio) for instance. Talk to individuals who are working as nurse practitioners to get a sense of what they do. Their duties could differ depending on the specialty they work in and what the arrangement or agreement is with the facility or medical practice they work with as well as their scope of practice in their state.
Good luck.