Hope Family Medicine, PLLC

A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse who has completed specific advanced nursing education (generally a master's degree) and training in the diagnosis and management of common, as well as complex medical conditions. Nurse Practitioners provide a broad range of health care services.

More and more people are choosing nurse practitioners as their primary, acute and/or specialty healthcare provider.  In addition to being a top notch healthcare provider, an NP is Your Partner in Health, delivering a unique blend of nursing and medical care.  NPs assist patients in making better lifestyle and healthcare decisions. 

In Washington State, NPs are allowed to open their own clinics and can practice independent of a doctor.

In the US, NPs are licensed by the state in which they practice, and have a national board certification (usually through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners). Nurse Practitioners can be trained and nationally certified in areas of pediatrics, geriatrics, women's health, psychiatry and acute care.

Nurse Practitioners treat both acute and chronic conditions through comprehensive history taking, physical exams, physical therapy, ordering tests and therapies for patients, within their scope of practice. An NP can serve as a patient's "point of entry" health care provider, and see patients of all ages depending on their designated scope of practice. The core philosophy of the field is individualized care. Nurse Practitioners focus on patients' conditions, as well as the effects of illness on the lives of the patients and their families.

NPs specialize in a particular field of health care practicing advanced nursing not medicine.

The variety of educational paths for NPs is a result of the history of the field. In 1965, the profession of nurse practitioner was instituted and required a master's degree. In the late 1960s into the 1970s, predictions of a physician shortage increased funding and attendance in nurse practitioner programs. During the 1970s, the NP requirements relaxed to include continuing education programs, which helped accommodate the demand for NPs. The certifying organizations, states, and employers require a minimum of a master's degree for new NPs .

After completing the education program, the candidate must be licensed by the state in which he or she plans to practice. The State Boards of Nursing regulate nurse practitioners and each state has its own licensing and certification criteria. In general, the criteria include completion of a master's degree in nursing and certification by an accrediting body (AANC, AANP).