What's a Nurse Practitioner?!

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Lol I get this ALL the time. I take an uber to work and sometimes I can get chatty which often leads to "What do you do for work?" Then when I tell them I'm a nurse practitioner, I usually get asked "What's that?" or a get a response like "My sister is a nurse. We need more of you guys."

Anyone else experience this with the public on a regular basis?

Specializes in Internal Medicine.
The question I always get is: "But what's the difference between an NP and PA??" Then I explain (and keep it brief), and then they always ask again at a later date (aka my mother-in-law. OMG. I think she's asked me 3 times).

I think this is a pretty reasonable question and I respect it more than "what is a nurse practitioner". Depending on state, the roles and regulation can be nearly identical.

The reality is, a provider is a provider, and for the most part we all do a very similar job, whether you're an NP, a physician, or a PA. The difference really is we all get there with a unique educational experience.

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When I get asked that, I tell them that NPs are very similar to PAs. We just took different routes to get there.

I'm sure some people here won't like me saying, but it's accurate and it's the quickest way to get a patient redirected back to the visit.

I did have one patient this week tell me his son was going to be an ADN, and he was curious about NPs. I did spend the 5 minutes or so giving him a rundown. I wouldn't want to do that with every patient that asks.

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Specializes in Assistant Professor, Nephrology, Internal Medicine.
I also get, "So, are you going to finish school and become a doctor?".

*bangs head against wall*

Get this all the time.

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