About Us

For the certified nurse practitioner (NP), care along the wellness-illness continuum is a dynamic process in which direct primary and acute care is provided across settings. NPs are members of the health delivery system, practicing autonomously in areas as diverse as family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, geriatrics, and women’s health care. NPs are prepared to diagnose and treat patients with undifferentiated symptoms as well as those with established diagnoses.

Both primary and acute care NPs provide initial, ongoing, and comprehensive care, which includes taking comprehensive histories, providing physical examinations and other health assessment and screening activities, and diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with acute and chronic illnesses and diseases. This includes ordering, performing, supervising, and interpreting laboratory and imaging studies; prescribing medication and durable medical equipment; and making appropriate referrals for patients and families.

Clinical NP care includes health promotion, disease prevention, health education, and counseling as well as the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic diseases. Certified nurse practitioners are prepared to practice as primary care NPs and acute care NPs, which have separate national consensus-based competencies and separate certification processes.

Like physicians, Nurse Practitioners are involved in more than just direct patient care. Many participate in education, research, and legislative activities to improve the quality of healthcare in the United States.

An ENP is a board-certified advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who treats patients of all ages in emergency departments (EDs) or urgent care facilities in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team. ENPs practice in community EDs, trauma centers, critical access hospitals, and urgent care clinics. These practice settings require ENPs to work long hours — including night shifts, weekends, and holidays — and to be on call.

Since the majority of patients who are seen in EDs are treated and discharged with minor health problems, ENPs must be prepared to provide primary care services, including managing patients with chronic disease conditions, caring for women with obstetric and gynecological problems, and caring for infants and young children, who make up a significant percentage of all ED patients. However, ENPs must also be prepared to initiate care for patients with urgent, higher acuity illnesses, traumas, and injuries and to provide acute resuscitation and stabilization of patients with life-threatening emergencies.

Most ENPs are family nurse practitioners (FNPs) who obtain additional emergency specialty education either through the completion of an academic or post-graduate fellowship program or through on-the-job training and continuing education (CE). Nurses interested in pursuing ENP preparation and board certification must first obtain certification as an FNP. Then, you can select from a growing number of academic and post-graduate ENP specialty training programs.

While, like all FNPs, ENPs are prepared to provide primary care services — such as educating patients, managing acute and chronic diseases, and prescribing treatments — ENPs must also understand how to recognize and quickly manage complex patient needs. The pace of care translates to ENPs typically seeing a higher number of patients per shift and prescribing a greater number of medications. ENPs must also be masters at multitasking, prioritization, and working within a care team.