A nurse practitioner (NP) is a master's prepared, advanced practice registered nurse with advanced academic and clinical experience within a specific population.
School of Nursing Options to Become a Nurse Practitioner
Nursing Specialties Offered for Nurse Practitioners
When you apply for admission into one of these programs, you will select both the advanced practice role and the nursing specialty you want to pursue.
Depending on the program, these are the nine advanced practice nursing specialties that the Institute offers for students planning to become nurse practitioners:
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
- Family
- Pediatrics
- Women's Health
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Lifespan
Patient Populations Served by Nurse Practitioners
Taking a holistic approach that emphasizes preventative care, nurse practitioners play an increasingly vital role in providing primary health care to a variety of populations including:
- Children
- Older adults and their families
- Geriatric patients
- The acutely ill
- Those with mental illness
Roles of a Nurse Practitioner
Working directly with patients, NPs can diagnose and manage most common and many chronic illnesses. They are authorized to perform physical examinations, order and interpret diagnostic tests, provide counseling and education, and write prescriptions. NPs have prescriptive privileges of varying degrees in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Work Settings for Nurse Practitioners
- Hospitals
- Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
- Schools
- Clinics
- Doctors' offices
- Your own private practice
- Various public health care roles