How many NPs have had to prescribe or diagnose a patient?

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How many nurse practitioners have actually had to prescribe or diagnose a patient?

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

Umm....all of them? Do you know what an NP does?

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What are you asking? "Have had to?" That's what nurse practitioners do, and the point of becoming an NP.

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

That's the purpose of NP's. I do it every single day that I work. I was hired to examine, diagnose, prescribe, and provide general care. My entire day is structured around seeing patients, taking their histories, doing exams, making medical decisions about their care (prescribing, ordering imaging and/or blood work, referrals, etc), and documenting it.

Perhaps you should do some reading up on NP job descriptions. Best of luck.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Moved to the Nurse Practitioners forum for more feedback.

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since this fellow has been asking about whether he should be an RN or an NP or a DNP or whatever since June it looks to me like he's just trying to figure out if any of these careers is something he should pursue. based on the questions though it looks like he doesn't want to be a nurse so much as get a career in something and for some reason nursing looks good to him. that about right, Prime?

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I do not think I have ever prescribed a patient. Have prescribed medicine and diagnosed illness in patients, but have yet to write down "patient 20mg po q daily" on an rx pad.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

OP has historically and repeatedly declined to answer the question of whether he is indeed a nurse.

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OP has historically and repeatedly declined to answer the question of whether he is indeed a nurse.

I highly doubt the OP is a nurse.

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Specializes in LTC, Rehab.

Homework? I'm not a NP, but the few that come in now and then definitely - always - assess, diagnose, and prescribe meds (and/or x-rays, ultrasounds, CT's, etc.).

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Geeze, scanning too fast and misread it as How many NP's does it take to diagnose a patient? I thought it was a joke, like how many politicians does it take to screw in a light bulb! :yes: Actually, I think I like mine better. So- what do you think? How many NPs does it take to dx a pt? 3? One to see the patient, one to comb through ICD-10 and one to argue with the insurance company? Make that two to argue!

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I do not think I have ever prescribed a patient.

NPs don't prescribe patients, charge nurses do. It's called making the schedule.

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