is it "an NP" or "a NP"

P_RN, ADN, RN · Mar 21, 2005

An for the abbreviation. "N" begins with a vowel sound.

A for the title Nurse Practitioner as there is no vowel sound.

rachkar · Mar 21, 2005

ahh. thanks. thats how i've been doing it, but its my first grad school paper and i want to make a good impression.

smk1, LPN · Mar 22, 2005

always "AN" before vowels, initials and abbreviations.

James Huffman · Mar 22, 2005

When speaking , it's "an NP."

When writing a paper, it's "a nurse practitioner."

: )

Jim Huffman, RN

nurse_wannabe · Mar 22, 2005

I'm so glad you asked this.

On my very first day of LPN school, we had to write an essay about why we wanted to be an LPN.

Everywhere that I put "an" LPN, the instructor marked it out and put "a" LPN. It was an informal paper, and handwritten, so writing out licensed practical nurse every time just wasn't feasible.

And this was the director of our program :uhoh21:

I came home and looked it up on the net and I was correct in writing "an" LPN.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 22, 2005

NPs are now called advanced practice nurses. :)

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Mar 22, 2005

NPs are now called advanced practice nurses. :)

Clinical Nurse Specialists and Nurse Anesthetists are also advanced practice nurses, but they are not nurse practitioners. An NP is an APN, but is also still an NP, one title is not a substitution for the other.