While we wrap up National NP Week (Nov. 11-17), which celebrates the important role these health care professionals play every day of the year, we thought it would be fun to shine the spotlight on one specific advanced practice nurse: the Family Nurse Practitioner.
Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are registered nurses who have completed a specialized graduate program that allows them to provide a blend of primary care and nursing services to individual patients and families. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the duties of family nurse practitioners include patient assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
To support these duties, family nurse practitioners can order and perform diagnostic tests, such as X-rays and lab work. They can also prescribe medication. FNPs currently serve as primary health care providers for millions of patients, especially in areas that are experiencing shortages in primary physicians.
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners reports that there are currently about 155,000 nurse practitioners across the nation; nearly half of these NPs are family nurse practitioners. FNPs may work independently or as members of health care teams. They practice in a wide range of settings, including private practices, hospitals, long-term care facilities, community clinics, schools, correctional facilities, veterans' facilities, HMOs, and urgent care centers.
In addition to diagnosing and treating illnesses, many FNPs focus on disease prevention and the promotion of healthy living. Their advanced education and clinical expertise allow them to provide holistic solutions for family health care.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook forecasts that employment for registered nurses will increase by 26 percent between 2010 and 2020. This is faster than the projected increase for all other occupations. Family nurse practitioners will be in especially high demand because they are able to assume many of the duties typically performed by physicians.
By providing patient-centered primary care that is both high quality and cost-effective, FNPs are playing an increasing important role in the changing landscape of national health care.
This post is written by Erica Moss, who is the community manager for Georgetown University's online graduate nursing programs offering one of the nation's leading adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner/adult gerontology clinical nurse specialist programs.