What is a Nurse Practitioner?

[nursinghumor]

To those who are curious . . . . maybe a few of the NPs out there can chime in as well!

What is a Nurse Practitioner?:"A nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse with advanced academic and clinical experience, which enables him or her to diagnose and manage most common and many chronic illnesses, either independently or as part of a health care team. A nurse practitioner provides some care previously offered only by physicians and in most states has the ability to prescribe medications. Working in collaboration with a physician, a nurse practitioner provides high-quality, cost-effective and individualized care for the lifespan of patient's special needs."
http://www.nurse.org/acnp/facts/whatis.shtml

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursingmail.com