Explaining the NP role to pts and everybody else

[npstudent22]

Hello everyone!

For practicing NP's or NP students how do you explain the NP role to your family members, friends, and most importantly to patients when asked "What is a Nurse Practitioner"? So many people are not aware of what the role is and what we do in comparison to the bedside nurse or physician. They understand the word nurse or doctor but get confused as to what an APRN is. I get asked so many times, "So you're like a doctor?". People really just don't get it.

Is there a quick, simple, and easy way to explain this to individuals who do not have medical knowledge very much like the majority of our patients? I've had very long lectures in my coursework on the role and what we do etc. but have not been taught on how to easily explain this to patients in a way they can understand and in a way that doesn't take 20 minutes. I struggle to answer the question every time specifically for the acute care setting only. I am not talking about primary care. Help!! Thanks

[Alicia777, MSN, NP]

I find it rare that patients these days (at least here in the Boston-area) don't know what an NP is. I always introduce myself as the Nurse Practitioner that's working with your surgeon, Dr. X. I tell them that the surgeon and I communicate about their progress or any issues they may be having during their hospital stay.

I keep it extremely simple as anxious or sick post ops or pre-ops are rarely interesting in my schooling or what my job duties are.

[Dranger]

Doesn't matter if the program is direct entry or not, many NP programs take BSN to MSN/DNP students with 0 experience. Even the big name schools frequently do this.

[BD-RN, BSN, RN]

The ones who accept RNs into traditional programs without experience, expect them to work throughout their masters, therefore gaining experience IN ADDITION TO their clinical hours.

Also, UCSF's direct entry ACNP program requires the student to leave school for a year to gain experience prior to returning to complete the Masters portion. Actually, a few of the Direct Entry programs do.

Do the research before making assumptions. Most NP students continue to work as RNS while in school. Very few continue on without gaining some acute care experience.

[PG2018]

I am working full-time while in my FNP program. It's very difficult, but doable...with a lot of sacrifice.

However, I'm an experienced nurse and I think I would surely struggle without this experience. I'm not saying it's not possible, but it baffles me how someone thinks the jump straight from one to the other is ok.

/shrug.

What do I know. To each his own.

I don't think the struggle is as great as is made out.

I finished undergrad nursing and immediately enrolled in graduate nursing and began working as a RN only while in graduate school because I could get more flex in my schedule than in my previous profession. Never once did I work psych, yet I specialized in psych. Well, ok, I did for two months after master's graduation I think, and I couldn't stand the lack of structure in the unit so I quit and went on facation for 8 weeks, lol. I'm sure the experience could help, but I always found on rotations that the psych unit RNs knew little to nothing about psych meds or psych diagnoses. They could draft a treatment plan quickly although I found they were often not adhered to. (shrugs). They always thought everyone was "antisocial." Nonetheless, I did well academically and achieved a rather enviable, independent PMHNP position. I only point this out because I'm living proof that you can go from 0-100.

[twozer0, NP]

I think the NP role is becoming more clear for patients to understand and it will continue to grow as more NP's become involved in the care system. What bothers me is the lack of understanding between what a physician can provide and what a NP can provide. NP's in a medical setting can provide almost exactly the same care as that of a physician even without the "4 years of medical school, and 4 years of residency". I'm not bashing docs, they are awesome to work with, but at the end of the day treating an Ear infection is the same for virtually everyone. Does it take 4 years of med school and residency to diagnose that? Where I see doctors having the edge is surgery, which is additional training. From a medical/diagnosis standpoint, I see no difference in the capabilities of a doc or an NP. Why is this so hard for people to figure out? If it is beyond the persons capability, the patient gets moved to a specialist, which doctors also do.

I agree that a collaborative approach is good. I think that NP's should also be able to have independant practice in all states.