Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioners (NP) are among the most common Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in healthcare across the country and the Indian Health Service. They are trained to assess, diagnose, treat and manage a wide range of conditions. NPs often serve as primary care providers delivering services such as management of chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes, performing health screenings, managing mental health conditions and management of acute conditions such as infections and injuries. NPs are known for their unique approach to whole person health and well-being.
Nurse practitioners hold a primary national board certification in their educational program preparation and may hold additional specialty national board certification/s. The following are the primary areas of foci for NP education and board certification:
- Family
- Acute care
- Adult
- Gerontology
- Neonatal
- Pediatric/Child
- Psychiatric/Mental Health and
- Women’s Health
Nurse Practitioners are utilized throughout Indian Health Service in inpatient and outpatient settings. The majority of Nurse Practitioners in IHS work in the outpatient setting as primary care providers in family practice, pediatrics and women’s health, but also serve in the inpatient setting as hospitalists and in psychiatric/mental health.
Learn more about Nurse Practitioners at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners website – What's a Nurse Practitioner (NP)?
