What is Family Nurse Practitioner?
A family nurse practitioner, also known as a nurse practitioner, is a licensed nurse who has completed the graduate level training and is board certified in family practice. This nurse has the credentials to provide care for patients with various conditions and diseases. Family practitioners are generally employed by hospitals or other medical facilities. They can specialize in specific areas of nursing or they can work in a variety of health care settings. Family practitioners take on many of the traditional roles of nurses while emphasizing on prevention and wellness.
There are many reasons why someone would want to become a family nurse practitioner. An NP can perform much the same duties as a physician, including the treatment and diagnosis of disease, care of patients with physical illnesses, administer medications and therapies, counsel patients, oversee surgery and keep records. In order to be licensed as a family nurse practitioner, you must complete at least the associate degree in nursing and complete clinical experience within the scope of your education. Most states require that you obtain certification or licensing in order to practice.
There are different types of family practitioners, including nurses, physicians, dental hygienists, and paramedics. Family care practitioners provide medical and other health-related services to patients in the home or at a facility such as a hospital. Many family practitioners also have a specialization in one particular area such as pediatrics, geriatrics, women/baby wellness, acute care or adult outpatient. There are also a variety of specialties that can be pursued by a nurse practitioner. For example, there are those who specialize in adult or pediatric medication therapy.
As a nurse practitioner, you can choose to focus on a specific illness or disease, or you may choose to focus on a certain group of people such as pregnant women, the elderly, or children. You can find a clinic that offers a complete range of family services where you will be trained to provide preventative services or emergency care for common illnesses or diseases. If you are planning to open your own practice, you can choose to become an independent family practitioner or become a family care practitioner, which is a type that works closely with a hospital or other such medical facility.
Once you become certified, you can work on your own or join a practice set up like a hospital or nursing facility. You can either work directly with patients or you can become involved in practices set up like community health clinics or health maintenance organizations. You can become a teacher, researcher, or even a consultant. If you are interested in becoming a nurse practitioner, you need to get as much information as possible about the profession so you know what to expect and how you will be able to transition from your current career.
The requirements to become a nurse practitioner are quite simple. All you need is a high school diploma and completion of a Certified Family Nurse (CFN) training program, usually through a community college. You may also want to start by taking courses in the areas of anatomy, biology, pharmacology, sociology, and family therapy, as these are all important prerequisites for many community health nursing positions. Once you have obtained your degree, you can work directly with patients in any number of different settings. You can provide primary care to individuals and families, refer individuals to appropriate health care providers or schools, or even work in research.