Glossary

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses who have additional education and nursing experience. NPs are advanced practice nurses with graduate education, which enables them to: autonomously diagnose and treat illnesses; order and interpret tests; prescribe medications; and perform medical procedures. NPs are health-care professionals who treat the whole person, an approach that includes: addressing needs relating to a person’s physical and mental health; gathering medical history; focusing on how an illness affects a person’s life and family; offering ways for a person to lead a healthy life; and teaching persons how to manage chronic illness. NPs are also educators and researchers who can be consulted by other health-care team members.