Many people don’t have the real understanding about what exactly a nurse practitioner does. In common, this profession requires advanced degree as there are a variety of duties to be carried out in the healthcare industry.

According to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, these professionals are responsible to provide high quality healthcare services like those doctors. They usually work in medical facilities such as local hospitals, clinics, health centers, nursing homes, public health agencies, the military and many other locations.

In United States, each of the state regulates the role of a nurse practitioner and what he or she may do. In some states, these professionals are compulsory to work under doctors, while other states allow them to carry out their tasks without doctors’ supervision where they are allowed to open their own practices. Currently, there are about 125, 000 personnel in this field.

First of all, we need to see what essential personal qualities a nurse practitioner should have:

• Independent in delivering excellent care to patients of all ages.
• Open minded and positive in facing stress in work
• Good interpersonal skills to communicate well with all patients
• Patient and compassionate
• Loving and caring
• Proactive in learning new knowledge and new techniques in medical industry
• Have the ability to think critically

Next, let’s take a closer look on the job description and the core responsibilities. In general, nurse practitioners are required to:

• Perform routine care taking tasks which include preparing patients for operations and wound treatment.
• Monitor the pulse, blood pressure and temperature of the patients.
• Carry out physical examinations and preventive health measures according to the prescribed guidelines and instructions given by the physicians or doctors.
• Provide treatments for common illnesses.
• Perform minor surgeries and suturing.
• Assist physicians during major surgeries and participate in complicated medical procedures.
• Take patients’ histories and record physical findings.
• Interpret and evaluate diagnostic tests to identify and assess individuals’ clinical problems and health care needs.
• Discuss and consult the physicians or other health professionals before preparing care plans for the patients
• Formulate comprehensive plans and prognosis based on the patients’ health conditions.
• Submit health care plans and patients’ progress reports to the physicians for periodic review
• Prescribe drugs for their patients. In certain states, nurse practitioners are given full prescription rights.
  However, some states require them to write prescriptions under the supervision of doctors or physicians.
• Administer therapeutic procedures and recommend different types of treatments like physical therapy or inhalation therapy which suit the patients’ health condition.
• Spend time with patients to emphasize on disease prevention.

In short, nurse practitioners are professionals who can provide many of the services that physicians or doctors provide. They usually specialize in areas like family medicine, pediatrics, geriatric, psychiatry, acute care, etc.

They combine the traditional patient care with high education on wellness and health promotion. The advanced training that they have gone through enables them to cover virtually all areas of patient care except major surgery and serious medical conditions.